31 Days of Halloween with The Kelly Society Day 16 - Mark

31 Days of Halloween with

The Kelly Society

Day 16

Hey guys, this is Mark. I own the Java Hut coffee house in Half Moon Bay. I won’t go into the selling of our coffee or food, because I read my employee Josh’s post and he got that covered! But I will say it is true—Josh makes a mean Pumpkin Spiced Latte!

I told Vivien my post would be about the Day of the Dead. My mother is two thirds Mexican, so in my house, in addition to Halloween we celebrated Dia de Los Muertos. Our holiday begins on the eve of October 31, and runs through November 2nd.

My parents showed my brother and me how to create an altar to honor our grandparents on the other side of the veil. My mother baked sweet bread, which is also called “Bread of the dead” and we’d place it on the altar we made on our mantle. My dad put a bottle of Don Julio Tequila next to the bread. Then, my brother and I would decorate sugar skulls with food coloring. I looked forward to it each year. I also felt lucky, because I got two holidays every October!

We lost my father a couple years ago and my mom moved into a smaller place, but we still keep up our Dia de Los Muertos traditions. I passed on our ceremonies to my son, who is in his early twenties now, and each year we come together as a family, go to my mother’s apartment, and paint sugar skulls.

Have a heartwarming Day of The Dead, my friends!

And—Happy Halloween!

Mark

for TKS