Healing Trauma 2

There is no activity that so effectively fights and counteracts the effects of trauma so much as the celebration of life.  Wow, Gentle Reader!  This covers so much territory.

Since these blogposts about trauma are at least loosely related to a larger theme of collective trauma in Latin American countries, let me begin with the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead, El Dia de Muertos.  This feast day combines the Catholic Christian observances of All Hallows, All Saints Day and All Souls Day (October 31-November 2) with Aztec and other indigenous customs for honouring the dead.  I have already mentioned elsewhere that death, our impending death, its inevitability, is the principal cause of our collective trauma.  What I love about the Day of the Dead celebrations is in the way that death is both embraced and celebrated as well as laughed at in the face.

I have had the privilege of being in Mexico City for the Day of the Dead celebrations.  Everywhere in the parks golden marigolds, the flowers of the dead were planted.  These flowers look nothing at all like death: bright, golden-orange yellow, they shine each like magnificent miniature suns.  Such are the flowers of the dead.

In the stores and shops they sold and served pan de muerto, a special sweet bread of the dead, and candy and chocolate skulls.  Everywhere hung colourful decorations of skeletons dressed like Victorian era ladies and Mexican men in sombreros.

In the bed and breakfast where I was staying an altar, or ofrenda, to the dead was set up, with beautiful coverings of purple and orange and strewn with flowers, fruits, food, liquor, candles, and the photos of the departed loved ones of everyone who wanted to participate.  There was music and dancing.  Nothing of sorrow, nothing about loss.

We were celebrating death.  We were accepting and acknowledging the beautiful temporary condition of our lives on this earth, as well as remembering and inviting to visit us the spirits of our departed loved ones.

None of us forgets that we are going to die.  Rather, we embrace it, we celebrate it, and we give thanks to God, however we perceive him, for this beautiful gift of life.  Accepting that our lives are but a breath upon this earth we can each go our way rejoicing in this gift of life and treating one another with greater kindness as we all share together in this precious journey of life.