Pagan Halloween is over, the decorations will soon be packed up for next year.
The Christians around here are in remembrance mode, it is a somber affair, and the Catholics will go visit the graves of dead relatives. The graves at the local cemetery have undergone a Fall makeover in the past two weeks, weeds have been removed, fresh flowers have been planted, and small red lights dot the night scene at the cemetery.
These days, the lights are plastic, "faux candle" battery powered, made in China, and last unattended for two weeks - in stark contrast to the old lanterns with small wax candles that had to be replaced daily.
We are told that many people around here still drive from small town to small town in these hills, from cemetery to cemetery to pay their respects.
The weather in these northern regions in late October and early November, often bone chilling fog or drizzle, tends to make this religious holiday even more somber.
So, where are your graves?
One of the K-Landnews folks made an ad-hoc list. It included several states on the U.S. East Coast and in the West, including a couple of national cemeteries. Then there are those in other countries, with Libya standing out as an indication of strange twists of fate.
And that's not even a long list by American standards.
Personally, we prefer to stick with Halloween or some of the more colorful imagery of the Mexian dia de los muertos. We feel, we don't need a specific day of the year to remember those who were here before us.
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