Hopping by from the Coffin Hop? See THIS POST.
Okay, El Dia de los Muertos and All Soul's Day are still almost a week away. Still, in place of Blue Monday, I present a collection of pins from my Skullduggery board, all appropriate for the Christian holiday honoring all the souls of the departed. Here in North America, it's been grafted onto native ways of honoring deceased loved ones - the Day of the Dead.
A good source of basic information about Dia de los Muertos comes from The Pagan Book of Halloween: A Complete Guide to the Magick, Incantations, Recipes, Spells and Lore by Gerina Dunwich. (It's only 175 pages, so I'm sure it's not completely complete, but it's a good start.) It says:
"In Mexico, the Festival of the Dead begins at midnight on November 1...With skulls and skeletons as its motifs, this holiday honors the dead and is celebrated as a joyous fiesta...
"Bread of the Dead (known in Mexico as panes de muertos) is a traditional food served on this holiday. Shaped like people or animals, these curious little loaves are decorated with brightly-colored icings and sprinkled with colored sugar, and beloved by both children and adults. According to tradition, each loaf represents a dead soul.
"It is a custom for Catholics in Mexico to prepare special suppers for the spirits of their deceased loved ones. The food is set out as ofrendas (offerings) and blessed by prayer. After the dead have appreciated the honor and partaken of the food in spirit, the family happily feasts on what remains...
"Each year on El Dia de Muerte (the Day of the Dead) celebrated on November 2, Mexican fairies known as the Jimaniños...are said to come out of hiding and take to the streets, where they dance merrily and delight in playing harmless pranks upon unsuspecting humans. They can also be found roaming through graveyards where they travel in troops...
"Many Witches of Mexican heritage invoke the Jimaniños on the 31st of October when they celebrate their annual Sabbat of Samhain and perform rituals designed to pay homage to their ancestors. Many Wiccans south of the border believe that these playful, seasonal fairies assist their Goddess and Horned God in the turning of the Wheel of the Year."
How will you celebrate the end of harvest season? Perhaps you'd like to rock this sugar skull-motif dress.
Need a handbag to go with that?
Maybe the neon colors are a little loud for you, though. Maybe you'd rather have an accessory that's a bit more understated.
And finally: let me call you street art
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