About eight years ago, while teaching, I introduced my students to Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. You see, I’ve always found cemeteries peaceful, full of memory and meaning, and I’ve never understood the fear of death common in American culture. So, as Halloween approached, with all its spooky imagery, it felt like the perfect moment to expand our worldview beyond fright to remembrance and connection while learning some new Spanish vocab along the way.
Many of the children had already seen sugar skulls and marigolds in store Halloween displays, so we started there. Through a simple compare-and-contrast activity, curiosity blossomed. They noticed these skeletons were playful and silly, often dancing or playing music, not scary. The candles drew attention too, with several noting it reminded them of their church or temple, where candles are lit to remember. I explained that in Mexico and parts of Central and South America, Día de los Muertos is a time when families honor loved ones who have died. They build ofrendas, beautiful altars with offerings, filled with photos, the person or pet’s favorite foods, candles, and bright marigolds, whose fragrance is said to guide spirits home. It’s a celebration of love and remembering, a mingling of tears and smiles.
As we talked, the children began making connections with their own stories of loved ones who’d died: a great-grandmother who made cinnamon pancakes, a pet fish named Bubbles, a golden retriever who loved tennis balls. They spoke with fond reflection, not fear, and were excited to remember and share with each other. Inspired, they created their own ofrenda with photos, pet collars, books, and other treasures. It was like watching the Lion King circle of life moment come to life. They had an intuitive understanding that all living things are connected and that connection mattered. Through this experience I saw how powerful it is to teach children that remembering is part of loving. We don’t have to fear death. We can honor life.
However, typically in the U.S., we often connect skeletons with spooky things, especially Halloween decorations meant to startle or scare. But in Día de los Muertos celebrations, skeletons are most often joyful; laughing, dancing, and dressed in bright colors. They remind us that death isn’t something to fear; it’s part of the whole rhythm of creation. Life and death belong together in God’s great circle of love. This experience inspired our upcoming Grace, Gather, Grow event and both last week and this Sunday’s Sunday school.
In Sunday school, children are exploring the story of Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones. In the story, God shows Ezekiel a vast valley filled with bones and asks, “Can these bones live again?” Then God breathes life into them until they stand as living people once more. This story, like Día de los Muertos, invites us to imagine life beyond what seems lost. It’s about hope, restoration, and the mysterious way God’s Spirit keeps breathing life into us. Even in our grief, even when we think something is over, the Spirit whispers: there is still life here. And isn’t that what remembering does? When we tell the stories of those who came before us, when we light candles and speak their names, we’re not only looking back…we’re participating in life continuing. The same breath that filled Ezekiel’s valley moves through us, stirring love and memory back into motion.
In the Christian calendar, early November brings both All Saints Day and All Souls Day, when we give thanks for those who have gone before us in faith. Some traditions celebrate these separately but in the United Methodist Church we honor both on All Saints Sunday, remembering not only the great saints of the church but also the quiet saints of our own lives…the ones who taught us how to love, serve, and hope. Just as Día de los Muertos fills homes with candles, memories through favorite things, and fragrant marigolds, All Saints fills the church with names, photos, and memories. These are beautiful expressions of the same truth… love does not end with death. The body may rest, but love continues to move through story, through song, through us.
Grace Gather Grow for November will bring these ideas to life together. Over a shared meal and story, Abuelo’s Flower Shop, we’ll fill our space with love and memories as we create tissue paper marigolds, cut papel picado, and craft “candles” of remembrance. We’ll build a collective ofrenda; you’re invited to bring a photo and/or item to add that reminds you of a pet or person (items will be taken home with you at the end of the night).
When I think back to those Montessori teaching days, I remember the joy in children’s voices as they told stories of loved ones. Seeing the different ways they’d all encountered grief and loss in one form or fashion become normalized and turn to celebrations of stories of love…that’s what I hope this gathering will hold for all of us. A reminder that the people and pets we miss, all saints and souls, are with us still through their love that lives on, as we share stories, smiles, tears, and songs.
P.S. If you or someone you know is navigating loss this season, we invite you to our upcoming workshop, “Making It Through the Holidays” on Saturday, November 8, at 9:00 a.m. It’s a gentle, supportive space to find hope and healing in community. Sign up through the church office or under the CONNECT tab on the website