All Souls' Day

Today is All Souls' Day, or Day of the Dead. It comes from an ancient Pagan festival, which celebrated the belief that the dead would return on this day to have a meal with their still living family and friends. I'll mark the day by lighting candles and putting them in the window (to help guide the souls to my house), putting family photos on the altar in my quiet room, and setting out some extra food at dinnertime. Enough of my family has passed on recently that it should be quite a gathering at the dinner table. I hope they like left-over chicken stew, because that's what's on the menu.