The Aperitif Guy

This weekend, my private dining society met to enjoy Mexican food. The date had been chosen for its proximity to el Dia de los Muertos, the Mexican celebration in remembrance of lost family, friends and admired figures from history. The Day of the Dead is a deeply significant occasion for Mexicans. While Europeans and Americans might celebrate Hallowe’en as a carnival holiday for games and fancy dress, Day of the Dead is both culturally and spiritually profound. Originating in pre-Christian beliefs, the celebration marks the moment the dead may return to the land of the living for a while. In order to persuade them to come, offerings of foods and lively music were provided. With the arrival of Christianity, the celebrations were augmented and embellished with themes from the November feasts of All Saints and All Souls; the prayers for deceased family and recognition of holiness being blended with ancestor-worship in a lively celebration of the people we have loved and lost, an...

Although Covid-19 has put put paid to a lot of the conventional activities of Hallowe'en, Mischief Night and 5th November, we still have plenty scope for making fun at home. Indeed, home is the best place to rediscover the joyful spirit of those celebrations, as they were family celebrations before they became bigger ones. If you have children, this might be a great time to introduce them to the cultural roots behind the festivals. Hallowe'en in the UK has its origins in the Celtic festival of Samhain, a "thin time," when the world of the living and that of the dead were brought close together. Among the festivities were simple games, playing tricks & practical jokes, and dressing up. Like many Pagan festivals, the beliefs and activities of Samhain were given a Christian gloss by the fifth and sixth century missionaries as a way of explaining and promoting their faith. The "thin time" sits comfortably with the theology behind All Saints' and All Soul...