When people in my life have asked me what being a Druid means, Halloween has provided some useful common vocabulary. Among the other things this season means in my Druidry, I explain it is a time for honouring the ancestors. Several people have recognised something in that and asked, “Like the Mexican Day of the Dead?”
It is a good question. The comparison offers a way into something that might otherwise sound unfamiliar, and it has left me wanting to understand more. Why do so many traditions remember the dead around this time of year? What are people doing when they remember, pray for, or welcome those who have died?
Continue reading “Honouring the Dead: Samhainn, All Souls’ Day and Día de Muertos”
