Forefathers' Eve

I promise this will be the last post remotely related to Halloween/All Saints' Day/All Souls' Day (at least for this year).  Some of you may be aware of this day for different reasons: it's Tuesday, it's the first day of November, it's All Saints' Day, it's El Dia de Los Muertos.  For me, because of my Polish heritage, it's Forefathers' Eve or Zaduszki (pronounced zah-DOOSH-key), which roughly translates into "For the Souls."

This day is a national holiday in Poland--schools, banks, and businesses are closed.  People from near and far make pilgrimages to cemeteries to say prayers, place flowers, and light candles on the graves of their relatives.  Similar to the Irish Samhain, it's rooted in Slavic pagan beliefs but was incorporated into the holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

Often, the preparations for Zaduszki can happen days in advance: flower arrangements are ordered and the graves are washed.  This is done out of respect to the deceased and to keep their memory alive.  For Poles, the cemetery is not where it all ends; it's a part of life.  And loved ones are never really gone; their spirits are always with us and a part of everyday consciousness, especially on this day when the world of the dead is thought to be able to interact with that of the living.  Polish graves are meticulously tended; the only times you'll see a neglected grave in a Polish cemetery is when the family line has died out and no one is left to care for it.

The holiday is a solemn but beautiful one.  Once night falls, the numerous candles on the graves light the cemeteries brightly, and even though it's the middle of fall, the cemeteries are warm places due to all the flickering flames.

No matter your ethnicity and no matter the day, take the time every so now and then to remember those who are no longer here.  You'll be glad you did.

Thinking warm thoughts on the perch.