As we approach November , a month traditionally devoted to remembering our deceased loved ones , we look at how we might live with more awareness of death ’ s reality and the impact this acceptance could have on the quality of our lives . From the beginning of recorded history , people have responded to death in various and creative ways , some in order to avoid it , but mostly to find ways to relate to it . Death is a great mystery ; ritual , play , music and art help us deal with it . One custom that has spread world-wide is the Day of the Dead .

El Día de los Muertos celebrates the cycle of both life and death . It comes to us from Mexico , but other Latin American cultures celebrate this integration of culture and Christianity . It commemorates the feasts of All Saints and All Souls in early November . Remembrances for the dead include attendance at Mass and the making of special altars that display personal items , photos , flowers , masks , candles , gifts , and skulls – a very colorful presentation ! Special foods are made and placed on the altars or brought to the graves . Today , this observance , with all of its ritual , has spread to Europe and other parts of the world .

In the Philippines , Nov . 1 and 2 are

considered very important holidays – after Christmas and Holy Week . Tombs are cleaned or repainted , candles are lit , and flowers are offered . Entire families camp in cemeteries , and sometimes spend a night or two near their relatives ’ tombs . Card games , eating , drinking , singing and dancing are common activities in the cemetery .

Asian cultures also set aside time for honoring their dead . Traditions include visiting graves , bringing food and drink , as well as offering prayers of remembrance for the departed . The Bon Festival comes from Japan and takes place three days in August . It has existed for more than 500 years . It has evolved into a time for family reunions and visits to clean the ancestors ’ graves . It often includes a dance festival . Similar customs are found in Korea . The Chinese Qingming Festival usually occurs around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar . It is one of three yearly festivals that devote time for honoring the departed and the spirits from the other world .

In many African cultures , it is traditional to ask for protection from the ancestors three times a year . Like other cultures , visits , leaving food and gifts at the graves are part of the ritual . One

occasion for this practice occurs just before the beginning of hunting season . In our modern cemeteries , customs of remembering the dead are visible on a daily basis . Seasonal decorations , birthday balloons and letters are found decorating the stones and markers . The relationship with death ’ s reality is woven into daily living .

Throughout the centuries in Europe , as early as 1425 , there are illustrated sermon texts depicting the death figure leading a row of dancing skeletal figures – a pope , mayors , children , queens and laborers – to the grave . Later , “ death appeared not as the destroyer , but as the messenger of God summoning all to the world beyond the grave .” Drama and music continued to express the allegory and eventually , in 1874 , resulted in one of the most highly performed compositions by Camile Saint-Saëns : “ La Danse Macabre ” ( translated as “ no matter one ’ s station in life , the dance of death unites all .”) Celebrations and customs are still found throughout Europe today on the feasts of All Saints and All Souls . In contrast to serious and solemn processions , the mood is quite humorous and fanciful . This is not unlike the second half of a New Orleans Jazz funeral when the

music becomes energetic and uplifting .

Calvary Cemetery will host the 8 th annual Dia de los Muertos Celebration on Saturday , Oct . 28 , from 11 a . m . -4 p . m . All Souls Day Masses at both Calvary and Gate of Heaven will take place on Thursday , Nov . 2 at 11 a . m .

Planning a Christian Funeral

This workshop will assist you in making choices about your funeral or that of a loved one . Come learn about our Church ’ s rituals - Vigil , Funeral Mass , and Committal - each have distinct purposes in the journey toward healing and wholeness . Learn about the services and options offered at our Catholic Cemeteries . Free . Presenter : Father Christopher Bennett November 7 , 7 p . m . – 8:30 p . m . Saint Albert the Great Church 1095 Channing Ave , Palo Alto , CA November 18 , 10 a . m . – 11:30 a . m . Our Lady of the Rosary Church 3233 Cowper St , Palo Alto , CA For more information , contact ( 650 ) 428-3730 x508 or cemeteryinfo @ dsj . org .