So, bear with me here. You may be wondering how gratitude is shown by a Dia de los Muertos kit.

I went to the San Antonio Art Museum and saw an art exhibition by a Latina Artist named Amalia Mesa-Bains. It was called "Archaeology of Memory" and I was so intrigued. It was many different scenes that she had displayed and they all had to do with the Dia de los Muertos. One in particular was about her sister and her premature death, and another was about different family members in her past and their history.

Here's where the gratitude comes in: I have always felt that Dia de los Muertos was a very macabre holiday, and it was creepy to me. I didn't understand it. As I sat and read her words and watched the video where she explained her exhibitions, I had an epiphany: it was NOT macabre!! I was so GRATEFUL to be educated about the day, and the symbolism of the altars and the sugar skulls. Her comment that really touched me was this:

"No space is empty. It is filled with ghosts and memories of those who came before."

The altars were filled with memories and tributes to her sister. It is a way of "filling those spaces" that loved ones leave behind in our dimension of life.

This page is in homage and gratefulness for now understanding the day!