Amada's Celebrates Dia de los Muertos, A Spectacular Display of Reconnection

2 days ago

3 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

While much of our culture is celebrating the fun of Halloween this week and learning to be brave and stand up to scary things, the Spanish & Mexican Celebration of Dia de los Muertos is a different, more serious and yet still fun event, and a way that an entire culture learns to experience how "Death" is 'simply' a part of "Life". And this seasonal holiday, usually held on November 1st and 2nd, is perfectly timed when much of nature appears to be dying, albeit beautifully this Fall, and will return in Spring. The Spanish and Mexican culture experiences it as a time when people believe that those who have died can be encouraged to come and reunite with their friends and families in a somewhat mysterious and wonderful gala that is an unfamiliar mixture to some of us, of beauty, respect for heritage, and an unbounded joy of sensing that lost loved ones can still be a happy part of our lives. They believe that literally and physically, similar to the way that many of us have times when we feel that our parents or others are "with us". But this is literally choreographed to happen all at once. The tradition has roots that go back thousands of years when it was part of the Aztec and Spanish culture. According to Good Housekeeping it is celebrated primarily in Mexico, though other countries in Central America, Brazil, Spain and Mexican-American communities throughout the US also join in on the festivities. And so, this past Sunday, a few hundred feet from the other big Fall Washingtonville Event (Witchingtonville), about a thousand residents and visitors joined Amada's Kitchen in a most extravagant and deeply spiritual experience. Attendees were moment to moment reverent, and then dancing, and I mean dancing... wherever they were, and whether it was an accomplished group or an impromptu couple dancing in the parking lot or on the wide veranda at Fulton Square. Even the smallest of children were helping the Event run smoothly (a young boy about 5 rushing over to me pointing and announcing "They are going over there next", when the first group of dancers glided across the parking lot. And then there was a 4 or 5 year old girl in her own gown rushing to help gather the long flowing train of a lady in fron of her in the most elaborate gown of all. The women and girls' gowns were absolutely gorgeous, eye opening and breathtaking.

Amada's Owner, Magdalena Sanchez, was on a non-stop throughout the day, whether doing this or that .. encouraging and congratulating the participants, and whatever else needed to be done, as she always does and as she obviously did for months ahead of this wonderful culture event to make it such an incredible success.

As they say, "A picture tells a thousand words", and we have dozens of them! Candles and marigolds are everywhere, the candles to show the way for the loved ones, and the marigolds to provide a beautiful Springlike scent to follow.

AND, Stay tuned... a Part Two - several fun videos will be up later.