by Stephen Page

For the Buenos Aires Herald



Yes, they celebrate the commercial Halloween here in Argentina (Oct 31st), but the original holiday, founded in Latin America, is called ‘All-Souls’ Day,’ and is celebrated on November 2nd. On All Souls’ Day it is believed the souls of the departed visit their loved ones. On this day, the living put flowers on the graves of their departed friends and family, and they put food out in their homes for the visiting souls to eat — though the food is not actually consumed the living believe the souls ingest the nutritional value of it. If it is a cold evening, people lay out blankets to keep the souls warm while they visit. Poets write epitaphs for their departed friends and relatives, humorous ones that poke fun.

Stephen Page holds BA in literature and writing from Columbia University an MFA from Bennington College. He is the author of, The Timbre of Sand, a book of poems, and Still Dandelions, a chapbook.

This article first published in the Buenos Aires Herald, 1 November 2009. A link to the Buenos Aires Herald is here: http://www.buenosairesherald.com/

A Link to the Buenos Aires Herald Article can only be opend from 12 noon to 12 midnight, and is here:
http://www.buenosairesherald.com/PrintedEdition/View/16117

Other links to read the article:
http://shadowknifepenpoems.blogspot.com/2009/11/halloween-down-argentine-way.html