My Favorite Season

Thanksgiving Humor

Wishing a very happy holiday to you and those you love.

Alone

Most of the time I'm a very happy person, but sometimes the world feels this way to me, but only sometimes.

La Lune

I see the moon,
The moon sees me
God bless the moon,
And God bless me.

-A nursery rhyme
I was born on July 13th, which makes me a Cancer, a moon child. Ever since I was a little girl, the moon has had a positive, calming effect on me. I recall late nights staring up at the sky, and having quiet conversations with that lovely beam of light. I would feel a soft, soothing glow fall upon my body. It made me feel loved. Many times I felt the moon was the only thing aware of my presence on this entire planet. Nowadays, I still smile when I'm under the dreamy moonlight. The hypnotic glow will always make me feel alive, and loved by something greater than anything on this little planet. The moon stills gives me hope that something incredible is heading in my direction.

Day of the Dead

The "Day of the Dead" (El Día de los Muertos or All Souls' Day) is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and by Latin Americans living in the United States and Canada. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs on November 1st, and 2nd in connection with the Catholic holiday of All Saints' Day which occurs on November 1st and All Souls' Day which occurs on November 2nd. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.

Scholars trace the origins of the modern holiday to indigenous observances dating back thousands of years, and to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl.

Similar holidays are celebrated in many parts of the world; for example, it's a public holiday (Dia de Finados) in Brazil, where many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain, there are festivals and parades, and at the end of the day, people gather at cemeteries and pray for their loved ones who have died. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe and in the Philippines, and similarly-themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.

Due to its time being close to Halloween, The "Day of the Dead" is commonly thought to be similar to Halloween, although the two holidays actually have little in common. The "Day of the Dead" is a time of celebration, where partying is very common, although this is not very well understood in the U.S. because they celebrate Halloween as a "scary" holiday, where people will put up scary decorations and have children knock on doors for candy. It can also be the same or vice-versa.

Source: Wikipedia

Photo taken by me at Muddy Waters Coffeehouse, Santa Barbara, CA. (2008)

(NOTE: The holiday was actually two days ago, but decided to post this anyway.)