Day of the Dead!

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This article is about the Mexican holiday. For other uses, see Day of the Dead (disambiguation).

Day of the Dead
Representations of Catrina, one of the most popular figures of the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico
Observed by	Mexico, and regions with largeHispanic populations
Type	Cultural Syncretic Christian
Significance	Prayer and remembrance of friends and family members who have died
Celebrations	Creation of altars to remember the dead, traditional day of the dead's food
Begins	October 31
Ends	November 2
Date	October 31
Next time	31 October 2015
Frequency	annual
Related to	All Saint's Day

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and acknowledged around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey. In 2008 the tradition was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.^[1]

It is particularly celebrated in Mexico where the day is a public holiday. Prior to Spanish colonization in the 16th century, the celebration took place at the beginning of summer. It was moved to October 31, November 1 and November 2 to coincide with the Roman Catholic triduum festival of Allhallowtide: All Saints' Eve, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day.^[2][3]Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Visitors also leave possessions of the deceased at the graves.

Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. The holiday has spread throughout the world, being absorbed within other deep traditions for honoring the dead. It happens to be a holiday that has become a national symbol and as such is taught (for educational purposes) in the nation's schools, but there are families who are more inclined to celebrate a traditional "All Saints Day" associated with the Catholic Church.

Originally, the Day of the Dead as such was not celebrated in northern Mexico, where it was even unknown until the 20th century; before that the people and the church rejected it in northeastern Mexico because they perceived the day was a result of syncretizing pagan elements with Catholicism. They held the traditional 'All Saints Day' in the same way as other Catholics in the world. This is due to the limited or nonexistent Mesoamerican influence in this region, and the relatively few indigenous inhabitants from the regions of Southern Mexico. In the early 21st century in northern Mexico, Día de Muertos is observed because the Mexican government made it a national holiday by its educational policies from the 1960s and has tried to use it as a unifying national tradition in the north of the country.^[4][5][6]

In Brazil, Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain, festivals and parades are frequently held and people often gather at cemeteries and pray for their deceased loved ones at the end of the day. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed celebrations appear in manyAsian and African cultures.

In France and some other European countries, All Souls Day was observed by visits of families to the graves of loved ones, where they left chrysanthemums.^[7] Writer Marguerite Yourcenar observed that

"autumnal rites are among the oldest celebrated on earth. It appears that in every country the Day of the Dead occurs at the year's end, after the last harvests, when the barren earth is though to give passage to the souls lying beneath it."^[8]

She also notes exceptions to the autumn season, such as the Buddhist Bon festival which is held in summer.^[9] Butsimilarly themed celebrations of honoring the dead have been practiced since prehistoric times in many Asian and Africancultures.

All Hallows' Eve

Evolving from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, modern Halloween has become less about literal ghosts and ghouls and more about costumes and candy. The Celts used the day to mark the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, and also believed that this transition between the seasons was a bridge to the world of the dead.  Over the millennia the holiday transitioned from a somber pagan ritual to a day of merriment, costumes, parades and sweet treats for children and adults.

Today's Halloween customs are thought to have been influenced by folk customs and beliefs from the Celtic-speaking countries, some of which are believed to have pagan roots.^[31][32] Jack Santino, a folklorist, writes that "there was throughout Ireland an uneasy truce existing between customs and beliefs associated with Christianity and those associated with religions that were Irish before Christianity arrived".^[33] Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain", which comes from the Old Irish for "summer's end".^[31]Samhain (pronounced sah-win or sow-in) was the first and most important of the four quarter days in the medieval Gaelic calendar and was celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.^[34][35] It was held on or about 31 October – 1 November and kindred festivals were held at the same time of year by the Brittonic Celts; for example Calan Gaeaf (in Wales), Kalan Gwav (in Cornwall) and Kalan Goañv (in Brittany). Samhain and Calan Gaeaf are mentioned in some of the earliest Irish and Welsh literature. The names have been used by historians to refer to Celtic Halloween customs up until the 19th century,^[36] and are still the Gaelic and Welsh names for Halloween.

Faster I Go--The Behinder I Get!

Here is the October pattern for Knitted Lace Year Long Scarf--I haven't even knit August or September's pattern!  but, here is October and guess what?  In two days it will be November!  I'm so behind..............................................................................

#10: Cloverleaf Eyelet Cable Pattern (multiple of 5 + 2): 40 beads and 48 sts total

NON-BEADED VERSION:
Row 1(RS): +P2, YO, SK2P, YO; rep from + to 2 sts from marker, P2.
Rows 2, 4, 6(WS): +K2, P3; rep from + to 2 sts from marker, K2.
Row 3: +P2, K1, YO, SSK; rep from + to 2 sts from marker, P2.
Row 5: +P2, K3; rep from + to 2 sts from marker, P2.

Repeat above six rows three times more (4 times total), then repeat Rows 1 and 2 again.

Knit five rows. On the next row, K3, sm, K20, K2TOG, K20, sm, K3. (47 sts total).

BEADED VERSION:
Row 1(RS): +P2, YO, (B)SK2P, YO; rep from + to 2 sts from marker, P2.
Rows 2, 4, 6(WS): +K2, P3; rep from + to 2 sts from marker, K2.
Row 3: +P2, K1, YO, SSK; rep from + to 2 sts from marker, P2.
Row 5: +P2, K3; rep from + to 2 sts from marker, P2.

Repeat above six rows twice more (4 times total), then repeat Rows 1 and 2 again.

Knit five rows. On the next row, K3, sm, K20, K2TOG, K20, sm, K3. (47 sts total).

Love From The Past

I'm still struggling through Mother's paperwork, photos, books, and her deemed treasures.  There are many photos that I pause over and remember when; then there are those photos--I don't have any knowledge of who the person is--makes good sense to print on the back who, what, when!  But, that didn't happen on most of the photos.

Here's Grandmother Bailey at a young age--have no idea when this was taken.

Here she is in 1962--doesn't she look like a grandmother?!

Anyway, I came across two handwritten pages that my Grandmother Bailey (we called her Granny) had written. I had no grandfathers in my life so I loved my Granny double!  She had an interesting life--it would make a great movie.............................married at 12 (yes, age 12!) , birthed 8 babies, three died before the age of 2; her 35 yr old husband was crushed under a piano that was being moved with the aid of his youngest son.  In spite of her trails and tribulations, she lived to be 89. What a life!

Here is photo of her handwritten note and here's what it said:

The Seniors Lament

Just a line to say I'm living and not among the dead.

tho I'm getting more forgetful and mixed up in the head

For some reason can't remember when I stand at the foot of the stairs.

Should I go up for something?  or did I just come down from there?

And looking in the refrig so often, my mind is filled with doubt

Have I just put food away or have I come to take some out?

And there are times when it's dark out, with my night cap on my head

I don't know if I'm retiring or just getting out of bed.  

So if it's my time to write you, there's no need of getting sore,

I may think I have written and don't want to be a bore.

Bu, please, just remember I do love you and wish you were here

and now it's nearly mailing time, so I must say

good bye dear.

Now I stand beside the mailbox with a face very red.

Instead of mailing you my letter, 

I have opened it instead. 

When I have more time, I plan to scan all these old photos, try to figure out the year and maybe, the location so they can be saved for generations to come.

Love your grandmother and talk to her--get her life history!

Crochet Charts?

I am very familiar with knitting charts.  There are many software programs that will assist you in charting, but I wasn't aware that there are charts or software programs for crochet design.

I'm fascinated by Iilla Bjorn's Blog.  Although I don't do much crochet,

she has been inspiration to pick up the hook and try it again.

Iilla has this interesting blog post about charting for crochet design

Here is one of the charts

And the key to the design elements

Here is how it would look in yarn.  I love working with charts for my knitting so

now I can find charts for crochet and keep up with the work easily

Two "Orphan" Quilts Come Home....................................

What a treat! Two of my 'orphan' block quilts come home from the quilter Judy M where they had resided all summer long.  But, it was worth the wait.  You may remember them from Spring posts

This is one of my favorites--and I used a house fabric for the backing--one small problem, you can't see the quilting pattern on the back.

I think I'll add wheels (even though Judy quilted wheels) to the train--otherwise, it looks as though they 

are riding on air!

The second orphan block quilt is more hodge podge blocks--but was fun

to play with.

some nice quilting features--some of these applique blocks

were from a block exchange about 15 years ago--so, it

pays to have aged blocks.

I used a plain backing fabric, so the quilting shows up perfectly!

Now, if only I had some more orphan blocks to work with...............

Who Was Fannie Farmer Anyway?

Another one of Mother's cookbooks was this one...........

but I wondered who was this Fannie Farmer anyway?  So, internet here we come..........................

Fannie Merritt Farmer (23 March 1857 – 15 January 1915) was an American culinary expert whose Boston Cooking-School Cook Book became a widely used culinary text.  Fannie Farmer was born on 23 March 1857 in Boston.  Although she was the oldest of four daughters, born in a family that highly valued education and that expected young Fannie to go to college, she suffered a paralytic stroke at the age of 16 while attending High School.  Fannie could not continue her formal academic education for several years, she was unable to walk and remained in her parents' care at home. During this time, Farmer took up cooking, eventually turning her mother's home into a boarding house that developed a reputation for the quality of the meals it served.

At the age of 30, Farmer, now walking (but with a substantial limp that never left her), enrolled in the Boston Cooking School.  Farmer trained at the school until 1889 during the height of the domestic science movement, learning what were then considered the most critical elements of the science, including nutrition and diet for the well, convalescent cookery, techniques of cleaning and sanitation, chemical analysis of food, techniques of cooking and baking, and household management. Farmer was considered one of the school's top students. She was then kept on as assistant to the director. In 1891, she took the position of school principal.

Fannie published her best-known work, The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, in 1896. Her cookbook introduced the concept of using standardized measuring spoons and cups, as well as level measurement.  A follow-up to an earlier version called Mrs. Lincoln's Boston Cook Book, published by Mary J. Lincoln in 1884, and some criticized her for using some of the recipes, the book under Farmer's direction eventually contained 1,850 recipes, from milk toast to Zigaras à la Russe. Farmer also included essays on housekeeping, cleaning, canning and drying fruits and vegetables, and nutritional information

The book's publisher (Little, Brown & Company) did not predict good sales and limited the first edition to 3,000 copies, published at the author's expense.^[2] The book was so popular in America, so thorough, and so comprehensive that cooks would refer to later editions simply as the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, and it is still available in print over 100 years later.

Farmer provided scientific explanations of the chemical processes that occur in food during cooking, and also helped to standardize the system of measurements used in cooking in the USA. Before the Cookbook's publication, other American recipes frequently called for amounts such as "a piece of butter the size of an egg" or "a teacup of milk." Farmer's systematic discussion of measurement — "A cupful is measured level ... A tablespoonful is measured level. A teaspoonful is measured level." — led to her being named "the mother of level measurements."

Farmer left the Boston Cooking School in 1902 and created Miss Farmer's School of Cookery.^[1] She began by teaching gentlewomen and housewives the rudiments of plain and fancy cooking, but her interests eventually led her to develop a complete work of diet and nutrition for the ill, titled Food and Cookery for the Sick and Convalescent which contained thirty pages on diabetes. Farmer was invited to lecture at Harvard Medical School and began teaching convalescent diet and nutrition.food for the sick that she believed she would be remembered chiefly by her work in that field, as opposed to her work in household and fancy cookery. Farmer understood perhaps better than anyone else at the time the value of appearance, taste, and presentation of sickroom food to ill and wasted people with poor appetites; she ranked these qualities over cost and nutritional value in importance.