October you are my favorite month of the year. I can always count on you to finally bring me crisp fall sweater weather. You allow me to begin to take part in my favorite things: tamales, atole/champurrado, cozy sweaters, wool socks, cobijas de tigre, bonfires, spooky vibes, and the possibility that anything can happen. I cannot believe I have to part ways. I especially cannot believe that your absence signifies the year is practically done. Where did this year go? And do I have anything to look forward to anymore? Does anyone??!!
YES.
These are the three things I am looking forward to this NOVEMBER Day of the Dead begins Oct 31 and ends Nov 2nd. It is a beautiful Mexican holiday where we honor our dead by praying for and remembering them. My Mexican family, unfortunately lost this tradition after we immigrated to the U.S. After watching the movie Coco, we began to think: what if our dead seize to exist all together because we have forgotten about them? It hurts to think about that, which is why I we decided to set an ofrenda (alter) for the very first time this year. MIDTERM ELECTIONS ARE NOVEMBER 6!!!!!!! As a U.S. citizen you have the responsibility to uphold our representative democracy by exercising your right to vote. Your vote counts. You have power! Every election is important, so do your due diligence: quick search your district, county, local government candidates as well as your state and federal ones. Talk to people and engage in public discourse. You wouldn’t let a stranger decide what to post on your Instagram, so why would you ditch your vote and let others decide your government for you.
AND Thanksgiving. My family and I don’t celebrate it by believing the toxic folklore of the “First Supper” nor do we include traditional festivities, like the Macy’s Parade (intentionally at least).
For us, it is just a day to thank God. We come together over a good dinner and thank Him for all of our blessings. We are together as a family and there’s nothing better than that. I also have a very special place in my heart for this day because it introduced me to the love of my life wine. Fun fact: The only time I eat a traditional American Thanksgiving meal is at school. At home we have a very Mexican-style turkey dinner.