I don’t know if it’s because of the colder temperatures swiftly descending in Berlin, but lately I have been feeling quite nostalgic about Mexico. Particularly, I found myself feeling a bit sad about the fact that –once again, as it has been since over five years since I moved out of my hometown, I will miss the Day of The Dead celebration in the way have come to hold dear. Last year I wrote in this blog: Day of the Dead is my favorite Mexican celebration. Year after year, my grandmother and I used to happily take over the operation of setting the altar and collecting all necessary components to do so. I have many happy memories of incense scented walks through the markets, amidst a multicoloured explosion of flowers, sugar and chocolate skulls, as well as marzipan figurines mimicking animals, fruits or just chimerical creatures pulled from the imagination of the maker. The distinctive taste of the traditional bread, only available for the festivities, still lingers in my mind.[You can read the complete post, Day of the Dead style in fashion and popular culture: all the rage now by clicking here].
Not me and not my granny, but this is pretty much what markets look like around this time of the year.
Day of the Dead in Mexico is such a colourful tradition with a beautiful theme: the juxtaposition of life and death as an inalienable part of our existence. By remembering your deceased loved ones while preparing a small banquet to celebrate life, you become aware that death is not a dreadful ending, but part of our human journey – something not to be feared, just expected. This year I decided not to be left out completely, by making a plan for orchestrating my own celebration of Day Of The Dead on November 2nd. Given that I live in Germany, though, getting most of the stuff will not be as easy as just going to the market and purchase it as I do back home; therefore, I decided to craft all the necessary goods for the celebration myself – not a small task, I must say!
I think many people appreciate the charm and quirkiness of the elements surrounding the Day of the Dead, so I thought it would be fun to share the process of setting up my own little shrine and give you some ideas and tips on how to make your own celebration, as well as sharing my knowledge –mostly passed on by my grandma of happy afternoons cooking candied pumpkin– on the cultural side of the tradition, which is very rich and full of curiosities and interesting background. I decided to break it into three instalments: Part One: The setting up and arrangement of the altar or shrine and the elements it must have, as well as some ideas on how to make your own decorations. Part Two: The food! Sugar skulls, Day of the Dead bread, Jamoncillo (this one is really cute, trust me!) and all you need to know to DIY your way to your own Day of the Dead Feast! Part Three: Celebrating Day of The Dead; what do Mexican people do to celebrate? Ideas to take part and enjoy this special day in style and tradition, with a Mexican taste. I will release each post over the course of this and next week, building up until November 2nd, the Day itself! Therefore, you are very welcome to take some cues for inspiration in case you decide to infuse your last days of autumn with some intensely colourful and tasty Mexican style! It’s going to be fun, I promise… Stay tuned!
