Though the subject matter may be considered morbid from the perspective of some other cultures, celebrants typically approach the Day of the Dead joyfully, and though it occurs roughly at the same time as Halloween, All Saints' Day and All Souls Day, the traditional mood is much brighter — with emphasis on celebrating and honoring the lives of the deceased. Revelers of the Day of the Dead celebrate the continuation of life — believing not that death is the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life. In Mexico and Mexican communities in the United States and Europe, the Day of the Dead is of particular cultural importance.
More here.
Janet, my aunt (Linda's sister), forwarded me an email from Dianne Romain. Here is an excerpt:
Here in Mexico the Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 1 and 2. On November 1st the babies, "angelitos," are remembered. The 2nd is for the other folks who have died. Family and friends take favorite foods of the dead to the cemeteries and spend the night eating, drinking, and visiting. They also make altars in their homes with photos, marigolds, sweet rolls (anise rolls made at this time of years), and little sugar candy figures of animals and fruits. This year Linda was on my mind when gathering things for our altar. I included a beautiful photo of Linda that Jake posted in his tribute to his mother.
Today, mom's obituary appeared in the Herald Sun:
The web version is here, but I don not know how long the link will be valid.CHAPEL HILL - Linda Kay Oldham, 63, a resident of Chapel Hill and Cairo, Egypt, died Friday, October 12, 2007, in Cairo, Egypt. She was an accomplished social anthropologist.Surviving are four children, Jake Lester, Aziza Mostafa, Osman Mostafa and Sarah Mostafa, and two sisters, Janet Oldham and Carla Oldham.The funeral service was held in Cairo, Egypt, on Saturday, October 13, 2007. Burial took place at the Kulliyat al-Banat Cemetery in Cairo.
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