Man's Best Ofrenda?

 

Noemi Gomez built an ofrenda in her Chicago apartment in honor of her corgi, Paco, who died in May. (Noemi Gomez)

I've written about my experience of attending a mult-day event at Ghost Ranch, the remarkable spiritual centre in New Mexico, nearly two decades ago at this time of the year. While I was there for what proved to be an excellent seminar on Celtic Christianity I was intrigued by the visual evidence of Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. This is a Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1 and 2 (today) and not surprisingly many New Mexicans have this as part of their heritage.

In several places around Ghost Ranch, including the library, there were ofrendas or altars to honour the dead. This was my first experience of these votive displays and they were both fascinating and slightly unsettling. Acknowledging the "cloud of witnesses" (see yesterday's blog) seemed like a good thing but these shrines can be jarring as well.

An ofrenda set up last year at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo. (Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo)

I just read a Washington Post piece about the way some observers of the tradition dedicate each night of the week to celebrate particular loved ones while Monday is for pets. I do feel that our society has gone gaga over our companion animals yet there are pets from my past I remember with great affection. In my childhood I walked a couple of kilometres to the home of a friend whose cat had recently had kittens. I brought home the one I chose in a cardboard box and while Snoop was our family pet he really was my pal. I found a photo of him a few months ago and even though he passed on to the great litter box in the sky more than half a century ago I felt a surprising pang of loss seeing him. 

If we're honest we may be more inclined to mourn the loss of an animal who has been a faithful companion (yes, even cats) than the humans in our lives who weren't as warm and cuddly. Can it really hurt to demonstrate reverence for these dearly departed creatures on one day each year? In the WAPO article we find: 

Mathew Sandoval, author of the illustrated book “Día de los Muertos: A Chicano Arts Legacy,” said the Aztecs — whose traditions inspired the holiday — believed dogs were sacred and could guide spirits in the afterlife. Fernanda Cortes, who shares videos about Latin history and culture on social media, said that belief has remained, especially with Xoloitzcuintles (Mexican hairless dogs). “If you didn’t treat dogs nicely in your life, they wouldn’t help you in the afterlife,” Cortez said. “That’s how important they were.”

In the touching movie, Coco, which is inspired by the Day of the Dead tradition, the boy, Miguel, travels to the Land of the Dead with his goofy dog, The dog is a sort of spirit guide and appropriately named Dante -- it is a clever film. 

Light a candle for "man's (or woman's) best ofrenda"? Maybe. 

                                                                                   Dante