día de los muertos in vermont

A baton was passed at our house yesterday. After fifteen years of a creative Halloween party http://micabob.blogspot.com/2008/11/picasso-pumpkins-and-pop-quiz.html we started a new annual tradition—a Día de los Muertos party. This Mexican celebration combines Aztec and Mayan traditions honoring the departed with Catholic celebrations of All Saints Day and All Souls Day http://micabob.blogspot.com/2008/11/da-de-los-muertos.html.

The event blends remembrance with some irreverence. We prepared an ofrenda with framed photos of ancestors, smiling skeleton figurines called calacas, candles, and even authentic papel picado, thanks to the generosity of a worldly neighbor. My daughter and I shaped painted cardboard boxes into tributes to favorite pets and animals. She adorned hers with faux pearl earrings and three sparkly toothbrushes. Friends brought their own contributions. I loved hearing and telling stories about hats worn by missed family members, meditation stones they held, a red sox fan, an old whaler’s golden earring, a lost cat, a pie tin, a horse race, a favorite breakfast. It was lovely, and fun. Mariachi music played in the background.  Kids colored skull masks.

We feasted well. Rolled black bean, beef and chipotle enchiladas. Layered corn enchiladas with salsa verde. Spicy Spanish rice. Southwest chicken and lime soup. Outdoors we had a brick oven cranking so people could roll dough into skull shapes and bake it under the stars. The hot bread looked so tasty, I think everyone got slightly burned fingers.

This morning after cleaning up, I sat on the sunny porch outside drinking a hot cup and savoring the previous evening.   It was nearly 60 degrees F.  As my husband took apart the brick oven, a gentle breeze blew traces of ashes over my bathrobe.  I looked down at the ashes and thought that was a nice ending to our Vermont celebration.