El día de los muertos, The Day of the Dead, also known as All Souls Day, is a time for remembering and honoring loved ones. This is not another Halloween. Many cultures have traditions for honoring their deceased family and friends. As I mentioned recently at a reading at Davidson College (NC), although I too enjoy the Mexican humor about skeletons and enjoy annually bringing out my ceramic musicians, I can get frustrated at the level of commercialization (skeletons, skulls, liquor) that ignores what can be a special time.

I wrote about some of my family memories connected with this observance in “Remembering Lobo,” (Nepantla: Essays from the Land in the Middle), in the poem “Ofrenda for Lobo,” (Agua Santa: Holy Water), and in the November chapter of House of Houses. A few years ago, I read the children’s books I could find on this theme and decided to write one myself.

Today, let’s remember the special family members and friends who have enriched our lives.

(Read a previous blog post about a museum exhibit for El día de los muertos which included an altar created for Pat’s parents.)