Falling into Fall

Although just a few days into September, I find it amazing that already there is a sharp bite in the air, the sunlight filters a bit differently, and the signs of Fall are starting to show. With Fall comes Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. This year, Switchback celebrates our eighth annual Day of the Dead on Halloween itself, though the two holidays are worlds apart. Halloween, as we know it today, has morphed into a candy fest for kids to put on costumes and head around the neighborhood collecting -- a far cry from All Hallows Eve, or the mysterious Celtic feast of Samhain (pronounced Sow-wen). These traditions were based on the belief that the veil that separates the living from the dead is thinnest on this night, allowing real spirits to walk the land. Some of them were not so nice! Fires were lit to celebrate the turning of the calendar, and the world accepted a chance to rest until Spring. Dia de los Muertos is the Mexican version of Samhain. The ancient Aztecs also believed that the two worlds were able to come together on this night, and so the departed loved ones were feted with food, music, and mementos. Today families head out to the cemetery and picnic on the graves of their departed. Drinks are offered and death is illustrated in beautiful colors, with gleaming plaster skeletons decked out in whatever roles they played when living. Candy skulls abound, and each home sets up an altar, called an Ofrenda, which is adorned with pictures of their loved ones.

The WayGood family will have a chance to celebrate this night with their departed loved ones too. Our Ofrenda was built by STeamer HT Trochelman, and it is very accurate to the Mexican tradition. Festooned with candles and candy skulls, the Ofrenda also has a place for pictures of loved ones to be displayed. For the first time, we are inviting those who can't make it to the event in Oak Park, Illinois to send along a picture before October 15. Pictures can be sent to this email, and we will print them along with their name, your name, your relation, and any message you may wish to offer. Our Day of the Dead will have wine and beer for sale, Pan de Muertos or "Bread of the Dead" and other snacks, and some fine music to boot! Anne de Courtenay's original Dia de los Meurtos skull art and posters will be on sale as well. Who will be on this year's poster?

Let's celebrate our loved ones!

We have had some fantastic people cross over this year. Luminaries like Michael Jackson and Walter Cronkite come immediately to mind, but in the WayGood World, we recently lost two great friends. Larry Skinner was a superfan of the band who would come to many shows with his son Nick. They held down the "Peoria to Keokuk corridor" in Illinois and Iowa. It is very important to have fans like Larry, who would make sure that the festivals knew that Switchback fans were in the house. Larry passed away quickly last month. His last wish was to have his organs donated, so now there are some lucky people out there who have been gifted by Larry's generous act. Toni Turner was a friend from Parker, Colorado. She and her husband Doug have the Celtic House Pub, which is our "Colorado Home Base." Toni and Doug had lost their daughter Katie to complications of cerebral palsy about four years ago. Toni, always filled with energy, was so taken by the Butterfly Program (a children's hospice network) that she and Doug raised over $75,000 to help other children and families. On August 22, they were just completing a fundraiser for the program when they were involved in a terrible motorcycle accident. Toni was killed and Doug injured. We just came back from the memorial for Toni, and it was a proud moment to see so many people there to pay tribute to a truly dynamic woman. We will welcome Toni and Larry to our celebration and of course have their pictures displayed. Lest not we forget.