Day of the Dead

Today indeed is the day of the dead. Otherwise known as All Saints' in those parts of the world that aren't Mexico. The realisation that it was indeed today took me by surprise this morning. It brought about a small feeling of nostalgia and regret at not being a few thousand miles west of here, but nothing major. I suspect that the surprise was brought about by the whole Halloween hype going on these days around the world.

Personally, I feel that is a pity really because it means that traditional celebrations or customs are being invaded by an American festivity imposed upon the world by its pervasive export of culture (or lack of, depending on who you talk to(!)). Anyway, the fact is that I can only hope that future Mexican generations will continue to honour their dead, even though today they run around in plastic costumes carrying pumpkins. For it is such a wonderful sight to see, the flowers, offerings, food, and most importantly, people celebrating their dead.

Here, these days, we celebrate the fact that today is a holiday. Full stop.