So let’s celebrate the dead. That’s what we do down here at the moment down here in Spain for All Saints Day.

The feast day of Todos los Santos on 1st November, a public holiday in Spain, is celebrated as the Roman Catholic and Anglican feast to honour all Saints, known and unknown, and was moved from its original date in May more than ten centuries ago to offset the pagan autumn festivals held at that time of year.

All Saints’ Day in Spain now revolves around remembering all the dead, when relatives visit the graves of their loved ones in the cemetery and decorate the graves with flowers. Extra public transport is generally laid on in the larger towns, and florists more than double their sales compared with any other time of the year.

Personally I think I quite like this custom. I mean, at first it strikes me as a bit odd this whole hanging out at the grave yard late at night adding flowers and cleaning etc. but on second thought what a nice idea.
I do think that when someone passes away nowadays society accepts a certain time of grieving. But after that you are meant to be moving on a get over it.

Which you never do.

So what a nice idea to have a time every year when you remember the loved ones that are no more and allow yourself to feel that loss.
Everything seems to be so concentrated on moving forwards and moving on, when it is not alway the most sensible thing.