The Days of the Dead:
A time to remember and honor the dead.
The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos is the climax of the Days of the Dead: All Hallow’s Eve (October 31), All Saints’ Day (November 1), and All Souls’ Day (November 2).
The root word of Halloween is “hallow,’’ which means “holy.’’ The suffix “een” is an abbreviation of “evening.” Halloween refers to the Eve of All Hallows, the night before All Saints’ Day, the day the Church honors the saints and remembers all those we love who have gone before us.
Día de los Muertos is a time to honor our beloveds who are dead and welcome them home. Often altars [ofrenda] are created with dried flowers, candles, photos of the dead, and sometimes their favorite food or drink. It’s a way to let the dead know they are still remembered, honored, and loved. It provides a connection to our ancestors as well as reminding us of our mortality.
Ghosts, symbolic of human souls roaming the earth, are an important part Day of the Dead traditions, as are depictions of skeletons. The Christian concept of the importance of the human soul and its existence beyond death is at the heart of centuries of cultural traditions behind Halloween and the Day of the Dead.
These traditions began when the British Isles were converted to Christianity in 597 CE. Samhain, a popular pagan Celtic celebration of the beginning of winter and the first day of the new year, was a reminder of human mortality in the face of the ingathering of the harvest and the approach of colder, darker days ahead,
It was a season when the space between the living and dead was believed to be at its thinnest, and the souls of the dead were said to return to their homes. Bonfires were set on hilltops to frighten away any evil spirits who might try to horn in on the celebration. The church adopted this time of celebration for Christian use by observing All Saints’ Day on November 1, All Souls’ Day on November 2, and All Hallows’ Eve on the evening of October 31.
Episcopal churches often hold services on All Souls’ Day. This service begins with the Prayer for Light, and it includes two or more readings from scripture. The options for the readings include the Witch of Endor (1 Sm 28:3-25), the Vision of Eliphaz the Temanite (Jb 4:12-21), the Valley of Dry Bones (Ez37;1-14), and the War in Heaven (Rv 12: [1-6]7-12). The readings are followed by a psalm, canticle, or hymn, and a prayer. “Suitable festivities and entertainments” may precede or follow the service, and there may be a visit to a cemetery or burial place.
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