mattbell

 On Tuesday, San Francisco had its Day if the Dead celebration, which included a procession and an area of a park with altars to commemorate the dead.  It felt like any other summer festival of lights, except that the focus was on remembering the dead instead of simply having a party.  It was fun, beautiful, and melancholy all at the same time.  I was struck by how well it worked, emotionally speaking. 

I am wondering if there are important cultural consequences that occur as a result of this Mexican festival -- do Mexicans have less fear of death and better integration of death into daily life as a result of having Day of the Dead as a cultural tradition?  I was unable to find any research on this topic (or at least research that didn't require a journal subscription to access).

Perhaps we're more afraid of dying in the US because post death events (funerals, burials, visits to graveyards) are dreary occasions. 

I remember visiting the Protestant Cemetery in Rome years ago, and I found it to my surprise to be full of cats.  The cats were introduced to provide a counterpoint to the stillness and death of the cemetery -- their lightness and playfulness helped make the graveyard a pleasure to visit, not simply a somber occasion.  It reminded visitors not to dwell too much on what is lost but to continue to live in honor of the dead.  You can read more about this cemetery here:  http://www.igattidellapiramide.it/