My very favorite holiday, and here’s why!
I posted on October 27th on my FB page about Dia de los Muertos here in Mexico, and how the celebrations happen over many nights, spanning October 27 through November 3rd. It is a holiday with so much tradition, so much tenderness, and with so many layers, I have grown to love it deeply over the past 13 years I have been coming to Central America.
Some of you might remember traveling with us to Costa Rica in 2012–our very first yoga retreat!! Or Guatemala and Nicaragua between 2015 and 2017. Then came Mexico, and for the past 7 years, I have to say, this place really has our hearts. When it comes to Dia de los Muertos, Mexico and its little “magic towns” here on the Nayarit really take this tradition to the absolute… the streets, the shops, the restaurants, the casitas, the stairways and tiny cobblestone paths… every place becomes an altar, a place of remembrance. I love that the way I feel in India is so similar to the way I feel here. Holidays, the Divine, family, and tradition are all paramount. And the colors! Oh my goodness, like India, the murals, the clothing, the textiles, the decor, the incense, the food, the flowers!!! Truly, I am a lucky girl to have these spots on the planet that stir my soul the way they do!
Anyhoo… back to my post!
October 27th is for our pets, our dearly departed and beloved furry family members who have stepped out of their physical paws and tails and into a light body that, if we remember them in a special way, can still visit us!! But only if we believe, if we keep our hearts open, if we remember to keep their sweet faces on our altars, and on October 27th-28, to put out special treats. I imagine Maizy Moon and Seamus will eat those even if they are left for Puddy, Sweetie Pie, and Mr. Paws (and going way back: Lefty, Lola, Buckwheat and Millie, Daisy, Sweet Pea, and Goodbye Girl, Buddy and Spirit, and Oatmeal, my very first kitty). That’s a lot of kitties over my 50+ years!
Preparations for Dia de los Muertos are well underway here in Sayulita, where we have spent the last 3 years visiting during this beloved season. The town is decked with colorful flags, the restaurants put out their skeletons reminding us to put a little meat on our bones, and the shops are full of sugar skulls, candles, marigolds, and altar decorations. EVERY nook and corner here becomes a place to pause.
October 28th, people prepare their altars and light the first candles and lay out white flowers. We honor all of the souls who have passed on. It is a collective moment for all of us here still embodied to honor those released from their human form. The candles light the way so our departed loved ones can see their way back to us when they come through the veil to visit on their special day! This is a sacred journey for our loved ones, and they are asking us to be aware of them and to call them back in for sweet moments of memory. Pull out pictures and mementos, tell stories of your loved ones, and know they are listening! If they hear us talking about them, and we light the way, they have a moment to return, to touch into this realm, remind us they are always in our hearts.
Today, October 29, is the day of tribute to the unclaimed spirits who have no families to welcome them home. On this day, we can put out a tall glass of water to quench their thirst, as they may have been traveling a long way to find a family to welcome them in. You could write a love note and put it on your altar with the simple words: Welcome, or “all are welcome here” or whatever way feels special to you to acknowledge the spirits who seek the abode of a loving family.
After today, things really ramp up… but I hope to post more on that later. For now, just opening our hearts to the great mystery of life, death, and the expansive beyond and all that is possible feels like a wonderful practice.
With love, the tenderness of memory, and the sweet joy of sharing this life with you. Many blessings on this day and always, from the magic town of Sayulita,
Love, Katie
(p.s. more on the foot thingy later)
