Athena, Paler Than Usual
Posted on November 1, 2008 Posted by John Scalzi 14 Comments
But clearly sporting the usual attitude. Here’s she’s supposed to be a corpse bride of some sort. I thought it would be an approriate picture for Día de los Muertos, which we don’t celebrate although maybe we should, as both Athena and Krissy are ethnically eligible to, both having as they do Mexican ancestry. As for me, I just want some of those Mexican candy skulls. I suspect I’m not showing the approriate level of reverence for the day.
Celebrate away.
It’s part of being American: second hand rights to every single holiday and festival around the world.
Yes, but I don’t have any candy skulls!
Don’t sweat the cultural appropriations, man. Just kick back and enjoy it when the parade on March 17 is kicked off with a speech from President O’Bama.
http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/sweetsanddesserts/ht/candyskulls.htm
doesn’t look too hard.
I am always delighted by pictures of your daughter, but it kinda looks like she’s going to “toss her tacos” in that picture. Too many candy skulls perhaps?
Go Athena!
NickelDiamer @ 1
I do believe you’re right – living in the melting pot does give us secondary rights.
It’s not really a solemn holiday anyway so I don’t think you need worry about reverence.
When we lived closer to San Jose, we used to go to the Día de los Muertos festivities every year. People were a little surprised to see us, I think (we’re kind of, you know, obviously not Hispanic), but nobody seemed to have an issue with the kids making sugar skulls or looking at the ofrendas. If we’d been snapping pictures and acting like tourists they might have.
John:
Regarding your lack of reverence: That’s why we Catholics have confession, so we can turn holy days into debauchery and still go to Heaven. (See: Mardi Gras/Carnival, St. Patricks Day). If there isn’t alcohol poisoning, gluttony, and perhaps an orgy involved, you’re not ready for the varsity.
Candy skulls – bad.
Candy braaaaaaiiiiiiiiiins – good.
No Mexican/Aztec heritage at all and I celebrate/commemorate Día de los Muertos.
Next year, I’ll make candy skulls as I sure there is no place for me to buy any up here in the cold of Saskatchewan (tho’ today is unseasonably warm :).
I was wondering where the Halloween pictures were!
The October right after my husband’s grandfather, who we had lived with for the 12 years of my daughter’s life at the time, died (he died in September) , I introduced her to the tradition, in, I hope, a respectful manner. We had a night stand where we placed a picture of her great-grandpa and a pair of his glasses and other personal items there. I think it helped her remember and mourn him. A few years later, she took classes in Spanish language and culture in high school and for an extra credit project we baked Pan de Muerto and made the candy skulls.
We had a lot of sugar skulls. I’ve respectfully dedicated one of them to you and your readers in my blog. I was very happy to see all of you talk about my favorite holiday, so I decided to post about it right away, instead of waiting until tomorrow. :)
adelheid–I think it’s great that you maintained the tradition. This weekend was the first time I’ve ever had a traditional thing happen at my home–as in, initiated by me and my wife. It was a wonderful experience. It gave us a sense of being a family. It was a very beautiful weekend.
gigi–You can make your own next year. We did. There are some places online that sell the molds. It was a lot of fun for us to create and decorate them!
NickelDiamer- I agree! as Mythago says, it is not a reverent holiday, rather, a loving one, and a lot of fun!
Hey, it’s perfectly reverent to appreciate tastiness. The dead come for the food, too.
For the past four years or so the Day of the Dead has been a top-tier holiday among my family and friends. We get together, tell stories about the departed, and eat delicious food. It’s a time I truly treasure.