| Today is Halloween here in America, a holiday of fun and mischief for children—masks, candy, and staying up late. But tomorrow, in Mexico, begins Día de los Muertos, a holiday more aimed at adults and with deeper philosophical roots. All over Mexico and in other places that celebrate the holiday, people are gathering not for treats, but to honor and remember their loved ones who have passed away. It's a three-day reflection on the essence of memento mori (check out our memento mori collection here)—a collective moment of bereavement that blends somber remembrance with the vibrancy of a jazz funeral. The great Montaigne (if you haven't read his famous Essays or Sarah Bakewell's How To Live, put them on your list!) once shared a story from the New World: an ancient drinking game where participants would pass around a painting of a corpse in a coffin, toasting, "Drink and be merry, for when you're dead you will look like this." It's both cheeky and profound, perfectly capturing the spirit of Día de los Muertos. The imagery of skulls and skeletons, the face paint, the music and dancing, the prayers, and the altars—all serve as reminders that death is not a horror to avoid, but a natural part of life to acknowledge and, in some ways, celebrate. At first glance, it may seem strange to celebrate death—stranger still to involve children. But is it really any odder than banishing all thoughts of death from our lives, allowing it to resurface only in moments of dread? Or pretending that the one universal certainty—our mortality—can be ignored? There is great value in rituals that allow us to confront and even dance with the reality of death. Taking time to process, grieve, and accept this inevitable part of existence helps us live with more clarity. It's better to regularly acknowledge death, like scheduling an annual check-up, than to be shocked by it when it inevitably arrives. So tomorrow, drink, be merry, and celebrate the Day of the Dead. Remember those you've lost, and cherish the ones still here. In the end, that's all we can really do. For generations, humans have been trying to keep the idea of memento mori at hand in different ways. In addition to the Aztec traditions that evolved into our modern day Día de los Muertos celebration, you can see it in historical writing, art, music, and of course jewelry. All created with the intent of reminding their observer that death doesn't make life pointless—it makes life purposeful. At the Daily Stoic, we've created our own additions to the rich history of Memento Mori jewelry—each a reminder we must live NOW, while there is still time. Explore the Memento Mori collection over at the Daily Stoic Store! Read on DailyStoic.com *** |
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