Let’s Talk New Mexico 10/28 8am: Fall is upon us, evidenced by the trees preparing for their seasonal sleep and the sun disappearing from the sky earlier each day. It’s said that the veil between the worlds is thin this time of year as the spirits and the living come into closer contact. Halloween and Dia de los Muertos are two ways we honor death and remember those who have passed on ahead of us. While grief is a part of losing loved ones, we can also celebrate their lives and memories while coming to terms with our own finite existence in this world.
On this week’s Let’s Talk New Mexico, we’ll discuss old traditions and new ideas of honoring death, from calavera statues and food offerings to the deceased, to death cafes where people talk about dying openly, and even planning for our own ends and innovative ways to process human remains.
Do you take part in Dia de los Muertos by celebrating the lives of your past relatives? Have you considered the more historical roots of Halloween as a time to honor the dead while guarding against evil spirits? Maybe you’ve thought about your own death and a natural or green burial as a way to rejoin your physical self with the earth? We’d like to hear from you. Email LetsTalk@kunm.org, tweet #letstalkNM or call in live during the show.
GUESTS:
- Nicolasa Chávez, Deputy New Mexico State Historian
- Alexandra Jo, Culture and Content Manager, Parting Stone
- Dr. Matthew Martinez (Ohkay Owingeh), Interim Director, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture
- Bethany Tabor, Program Officer, New Mexico Humanities Council
- Gail Rubin, A Good Goodbye
RELATED:
Celebrating the Dead: Día de los Muertos and All Hallowe’en by Nicolasa Chávez
- How Halloween Has Traveled The Globe, Sapiens anthropology magazine
- Before I Die NM Festival Schedule of Events
- Cemetery Stories: Life, Death, and Beyond, presented by the New Mexico Humanities Council
- Deathcare Decoded, Parting Stone's podcast exploring trends in the death profession
- Alexandra Jo's blog series for Connecting Directors, an online publication for progressive funeral professionals
- The Secret to Happiness? Thinking About Death., Outside Magazine