Never Forgetting: El Dia de los Muertos

When I lived in Antigua Guatemala in the early nineties, I used to go to the cemetery for All Soul's Day, and marvel at how the food left on the gravesites late on All Saint's Day had been consumed by hungry spirits before the sun rose on November 2.

Fiambre

In Antigua, markets and cafes would take orders in advance for fiambre, so I never cooked those days. This traditional cold salad, made of cold cuts, had a purely Guatemalan history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiambre. I don't know where I could find a takeout order of fiambre here, but am fairly certain that I can locate some of the other traditional Hispanic dishes, such as Mexican pan de muerto.

This year Fairhaven Memorial Park will be celebrating the holiday. This is how it's described on the Fairhaven website:
Fairhaven honors a traditional Hispanic celebration of the lives of those who have passed on the day the souls of departed loved ones return to partake of offerings from friends and family. It is a thanksgiving of family ties and togetherness, as well as an experience of the seamless continuity of life and death. We join together with our families in celebrating this colorful Mexican custom which includes a memorial service, ofrendas, live music, and the sharing of pan de muerto, a soft round bread covered with sugar that is often in the shape of bones or a skull. Everyone is welcome to join us on this memorable evening to celebrate those we have lost and will never be forgotten.

My son  offered to make a copy of a picture of Mari Lou for Mari Lou's mother and me to leave at the altar. Mari Lou had been a Cuban-American, and enchanted with her Hispanic heritage. We chose this photo:

Mari Lou Laso Elders in Catalina