The Day of The Dead

Mexico today is a unique cultural mix of ancient pagan influences, such as the Maya, Aztec and Zapotec, and the Catholic missionary efforts by the Spaniards.

The Mexican people have preserved many of these ancestors' traditions by blending their various rituals and beliefs into the wonderfully colorful festivals and holidays we see celebrated today... One of the most widely recognized Mexican Holiday is "Los Dias de los Muertos" or The Day of The Dead.

Although "Los Dias de los Muertos" literally means "Day of the Dead", it is really a Mexican celebration of both life and death.

This autumn festival, merges Aztec and Catholic practices of the Catholic feasts of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day-November 1 and 2. Celebrants honor the spirits of family ancestors; spirits of children are thought to return on the 1st and adults on the 2nd.

Altars are built, and then covered with food and decorations. Cemeteries are decorated with fresh flowers. Paper mache sculptures depict the dead in an everyday context, such as skeletons, and most are comical in nature. Through music and feasting, everyone embraces the totality of both life and death.

Scare Yourself Silly with these Halloween Symbols

BOO!!
Halloween is currently celebrated all around the world.

Started by the Celts and celebrated each year on October 31st, there are numerous Halloween symbols that conjure up scary imagery and haunting manifestations of the supernatural.

Symbols for Halloween include bats, gravestones, witches, pumpkins, owls, cats, and skulls.

"When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
'tis near Halloween."
~ Author Unknown

Discover these symbols here..

The Beauty and Symbolism of The Butterfly

The Butterfly is a Symbol of Change, Resurrection, Transition, Celebration, Lightness, Time, Young Love and The Soul.

~ As a symbol of transformation; it represents everlasting life, this meaning is derived from its three stages of the life- the caterpillar (birth), the chrysalis (death), and the butterfly (resurrection). Because of it's very short life span the butterfly reminds us that life itself is precious and short.

~ In Some Legends The Butterfly Is The Bringer Of Sleep And Dreams, In Others, The Symbol Of Feminine Fertility And The Bringer Of Children. It Also Relates To Love Relationships.

The Chinese Butterfly represents love; specifically young love. Happily flitting flower to flower - it signifies a happy social life for the young and young- at-heart. Chinese legend has it that the Butterfly symbolizes an undying bond between lovers.

All romantics-at-heart would do well to place an image of a Butterfly in their home. A perfect gift for a new couple is this design embroidered on towels for the couple's home. Representative of the Yang energy, this symbol can energize you or a loved one - particularly when embroidered on clothing - it reminds us of the energy of love.

Colors of the United States

The official national colors of the United States are red, white, and blue and seen on our flag and our national seal.

Red is a symbol of valor and bravery
White symbolizes purity and innocence
Blue signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice

According to legend, George Washington interpreted the elements of the flag this way: the stars were taken from the sky, the red from the British colors, and the white stripes signified the secession from the home country. However, there is no official designation or meaning for the colors of the flag.

Currently the stars are considered a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial; the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun.

Cuckoo for Kokopellis

Traditional art and icons of the Native American culture are quite common in the American Southwest and have come to symbolize a unique southwestern style of decorating.The flute playing Kokopelli, figure is one such icon and dates back 3,000 years to petroglyphs and pottery found throughout the Southwestern United States.

Usually depicted as a humpbacked dancing figure playing a flute, the Kokopelli often carries a large bag on his back and has an insect-like antennae. The Kokopelli is a kachina, or spirit, found in the mythology of the both the Zuni, and Anasazi tribes and he is also known as a Hopi fertility god. He has been called the prankster, hunter, healer, musician, dancer and the story-teller.

The word Kokopelli comes from 2 Hopi words, koko for wood and pilau for hump.

Learn more here.