Gerald Maclennon's Blog - Posts Tagged "all-saints-day"
Hallowe'en or Dia de los Muertos and Pixar Flick COCO (2017)
View the trailer:
ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvr68u6k5sI&a...
This year my 15-year-old granddaughter is not observing Hallowe'en (Eve of All Hollows Day) which is a night for chicanery, tricks, and naughty behavior prior to a very holy day on the church calendar (especially for Roman Catholics')... It is called ALL SAINTS DAY or ALL SOULS DAY or ALL HALLOWS DAY... and it occurs on November 1st ... and 2nd.
In MEXICO it is called DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (Day of the Dead) but it is not scary, it is a FAMILY HOLY DAY to honor all family members who have gone to the Afterlife before us. Every observant family has a family altar (Ofrenda) in their homes bearing photos for all the beloved dead, and not only photos but their favorite foods and flowers and anything indicative of that individual, such as musical instruments. In COCO's case, it is the guitar of his once-famous grandfather.
American kids may say, "Why not Hallowe'en?"
I would reply, "It's your choice. I say 'No' because I'm old... AND if you look around, you'll notice Hallowe'en in the USA today has -- more and more — come to celebrate evil. And... it promotes the fear of death instead of understanding... and honoring death."
The CIRCLE of LIFE... and DEATH... contains many wonderful FAMILY members who lived and passed away... and now exist as SPIRITS in that AFTERLIFE we often call HEAVEN... or in Spanish: EL CIELO (the Sky, Skies, Paradise).
In the Philippines (which is primarily Catholic in the North) I loved the family processions to the village cemetery. Hundreds (if not thousands) participated in the darkness, with each individual carrying a lighted candle. From a distance — in my case, across the bay at the Navy base — I watched with fascination as the townspeople of Olongapo City walked in their solemn candle-lit procession... going to the hilltop cemetery above Olongapo, to visit, eat food, drink wine, laugh and converse at the headstones of their beloved alive and dead family members.
That was my introduction, at 18 years of age, to DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (Day of the Dead). I liked it because, to me, it honored our GOD and not HIS ADVERSARY (Sa-tahn). But... that's just me.
Igor AKA Gerry Logan
ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvr68u6k5sI&a...
This year my 15-year-old granddaughter is not observing Hallowe'en (Eve of All Hollows Day) which is a night for chicanery, tricks, and naughty behavior prior to a very holy day on the church calendar (especially for Roman Catholics')... It is called ALL SAINTS DAY or ALL SOULS DAY or ALL HALLOWS DAY... and it occurs on November 1st ... and 2nd.
In MEXICO it is called DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (Day of the Dead) but it is not scary, it is a FAMILY HOLY DAY to honor all family members who have gone to the Afterlife before us. Every observant family has a family altar (Ofrenda) in their homes bearing photos for all the beloved dead, and not only photos but their favorite foods and flowers and anything indicative of that individual, such as musical instruments. In COCO's case, it is the guitar of his once-famous grandfather.
American kids may say, "Why not Hallowe'en?"
I would reply, "It's your choice. I say 'No' because I'm old... AND if you look around, you'll notice Hallowe'en in the USA today has -- more and more — come to celebrate evil. And... it promotes the fear of death instead of understanding... and honoring death."
The CIRCLE of LIFE... and DEATH... contains many wonderful FAMILY members who lived and passed away... and now exist as SPIRITS in that AFTERLIFE we often call HEAVEN... or in Spanish: EL CIELO (the Sky, Skies, Paradise).
In the Philippines (which is primarily Catholic in the North) I loved the family processions to the village cemetery. Hundreds (if not thousands) participated in the darkness, with each individual carrying a lighted candle. From a distance — in my case, across the bay at the Navy base — I watched with fascination as the townspeople of Olongapo City walked in their solemn candle-lit procession... going to the hilltop cemetery above Olongapo, to visit, eat food, drink wine, laugh and converse at the headstones of their beloved alive and dead family members.
That was my introduction, at 18 years of age, to DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (Day of the Dead). I liked it because, to me, it honored our GOD and not HIS ADVERSARY (Sa-tahn). But... that's just me.
Igor AKA Gerry Logan
