FanStory.com - A Day of Celebrationby Terry Broxson

Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is celebrated throughout Mexico. The festival honors family members and loved ones who have passed away. In addition to honoring the deceased, the party invites them, or at least their memory, to join in the fun.

My wife, Zoe, began visiting Mexico before she met me and continued to do so for many years. She loved the people, the culture, the food, the drink, the color, and many of the traditions. Much of these she imported into our life. Her favorite party was Dia de los Muertos.

In 1993, we moved into a new house we had customed built. It was designed to accommodate parties. It was not unusual to have fifty guests or more. The new home allowed Zoe to have her first large DOD party. Frankly, our new neighbors and other friends were more than skeptical of a Day of the Dead Party—it sounded creepy.

Gringos don't have DOD parties.

Zoe's answer was, "Oh, yes, we do; please come. It will be fun."

The invitation instructed the guests to bring something for the altar. The altar is the cornerstone of the party, the same way a Christmas tree is for Christmas. The altar could include almost anything, such as a photograph, a memento, or other items which remind of the loved ones.

Zoe's altars were impressive. She had photos of our family and friends. Not to be left out, of course, were pictures of our beloved cats. Her dad had a can of Budweiser. My dad had a bottle of Jim Beam he bought but never opened. Her mother had an initialized flask. Her brother had a cup of coffee, and my mother had a glass of tea.

The altar had a can of Fancy Feast for the kitties. Chocolates and homemade bread were added for the grandmothers. Flowers, candles, and a collection of colorful folk art skeleton figurines Zoe had collected from Mexico. She left room for the guest to bring their items.

Any idea that this party would be creepy evaporated quickly; Mexican music filled the house, along with the aroma of authentic cuisine Zoe had learned to prepare from several cooking classes on her trips south.

Libations included pitchers of margaritas and sangria; soon, everyone was having a good time, just as Zoe had promised.

Zoe's parties were always multicultural. It was not just gringos who learned about the tradition and fun of the Day of the Dead parties and the meaning they held for the living.

There were two downsides to the parties, or I should say from my perspective. When fifty or so folks had partied at your house, someone had to do the cleaning. Zoe was a great cook, but not so much on the cleaning. Catdaddy had to do it.

The other downside was the altar. Zoe loved to construct her altar. The same way she liked to decorate all her Christmas trees. (Yes, my FanStory eagle eye editors, I know that is plural.) Taking down the altar; was not her strong suit. I was not allowed to touch it. I might break something.

I often said, "Darlin', you need to take down the altar if you want to decorate for Christmas." That usually worked.

The Day of the Dead is traditionally celebrated on November 1. In many places, the party will be held on the weekend before or after the first because those deceased relatives and friends might need more time to have fun.

It was the morning of November 1, 2018, Zoe died unexpectedly from a heart attack. We were married for forty-four years. I have always speculated she chose that date because she knew there would be a party.

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