Happy October, My Lovelies! I hope you are enjoying lots of fall activities in your neighborhood. October is usually our busiest month of the year, and this year is typical.
Today I'm participating in a blog hop party hosted by Rita at The Panoply blog. The theme is Halloween. Thanks so much, Rita, for hosting!
If you're hopping in order, then you're linking over from Lynne's blog, Thrifting Wonderland. Thanks for sticking with it: My blog is the end of the line! ;P
Do you decorate for Halloween? I admit that Halloween is not my favorite, and I tend to celebrate Pinktober and decorate with candy corn and pumpkins. I have decorated my dining room in all shades of pink, and I will share it later. However, I decorated our breakfast room for El Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead.
The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a brief reunion that includes food, drink and celebration.
A blend of Mesoamerican ritual, European religion, and Spanish culture, the holiday is celebrated each year from October 31-November 2. While October 31 is Halloween, November 1-2 is All Souls Day or the Day of the Dead. According to tradition, the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31 and the spirits of children can rejoin their families for 24 hours. The spirits of adults can do the same on November 2.
I have included several Day of the Dead symbols on my tablescape, including the plates illustrated with sugar skulls.
The table runner, above, was the inspiration for my tablescape. I purchased it years ago from Crate and Barrel. Flowers are an important element for Day of the Dead celebrations as they are taken to cemeteries to decorate gravesites and used on family altars in the home.
Prized for their bright coloring and potent fragrance, marigolds are thought to guide the spirits to the living world with their vibrant colors and strong scent. Their petals are often laid out as walkways for the dead to find their way on earth so they may be reunited with their loved ones.
I purchased artificial marigolds for this tablescape. I placed them in September's Collectors Series vase from MacKenzie-Childs.
The word mariposa (butterfly in English) is often used as a metaphor for the soul, further connecting the butterfly to the spiritual realm. Monarchs migrate to Mexico from North America each year, arriving in large numbers in late October and early November. As the arrival of monarch butterflies in Mexico coincides with the beginning of Day of the Dead in Mexico, the butterflies have become a natural and symbol of this special time of the year.
Mexicans believe that these monarch butterflies represent the spirits of deceased loved ones returning to visit the living during this time.
When I saw these cute Mexican corazones with butterfly handles in the store, I knew I had to set a Day of the Dead table. The table is all set and ready for a festive breakfast. Plus, I like how they look with the vase.
Chrysanthemums are often used in Day of the Dead celebrations. They are represented in the napkin rings and are also on the table runner.
Some elements on the table are older, but most things are new. Here is a list of the resources for the table.
Resources
Older Items
Table runner and black lace platter: Crate and Barrel
Woven circular and ruffled placemats: Pier 1
Dinner plates: MacKenzie-Childs
New Items
Day of the Dead plates, solid orange linen napkins, and napkin rings: Williams-Sonoma
Marigolds and floral embroidered napkins: Amazon
Mariposa-handled Mexican corazones mugs: World Market
Here is a list of the other stylists participating in the blog hop.
Panoply - Skeleton Duet Halloween Tablescape
Life and Linda - Phantom of the Opera Tablescape
Hyacinths for the Soul - Too Cute to Spook
Me and My Captain - Happy Ghosts Visit the Moon of the High Mountain Desert of New Mexico
Red Cottage Chronicles - A Charming Halloween Tea Party
The Cat's Whiskerz - A Witchy Halloween Tablescape
Corner of Plaid and Paisley - A Bit of Scare in that Scarecrow
Olla-Podrida - Haunted House Tablescape for Halloween
My Thrift Store Addiction - Charlotte the Spider and a Whimsical Garden Party
Dinner at Eight - There's a Full Moon Rising . . .
Thrifting Wonderland - All Hallows Eve Thrifted Tablescape
The Bookish Dilettante - Tablescape for Spooky Season: El Día de los Muertos
Thank you so much for reading my blog!
I hope y'all are curious about this one!
Until next time...
Stay spooky!
Ricki Jill
Ricki Jill, what a fun and colorful seasonal celebration, and I adore those mugs!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Day of the Dead is one of my favorite holidays, believe it or not, and I really do celebrate it. As a consequence, I have been collecting Day of the Dead tableware items for more than a decade. I actually have the same Calavera skull plates that you have here. I had to enlarge the pictures to see every little detail and I love it. I’m quite fond of those mugs as well. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteHi Ricki Jill...I have to agree with Pattie, as I have set a Dia de Muertos table a few years back in 2018 the year after the Disney movie, "Coco" came out and reviving it yet again in 2022. I used those little characters from the movie as well as I tried my hand at making Calaveras or sugar skull cookies. Lets just say I have not attempted the cookies since.🥴. My skull plates are in the shape of the skulls and more of a snack/salad plate that I placed on top of a Fiesta plate. I also explained the background so I thank you for reminding me of my past tables. Your September MKC vase is perfect with your corazone mugs. I do have a lot of old Mexican pottery, mostly collected when we lived in New Mexico.
ReplyDeleteI also know what it is like to be on the bottom of the 'totem pole' so to speak...so sometimes I start from the bottom up when visiting the blog hoppers. Today, however, I started in the middle and have been hopping around...so please rest assured you are not the last one to be visited by me. There are miles to go before I sleep....oh sorry, sometimes I get carried away and I watch and read too much. LOL
It is always a pleasure hopping with you...have a great October! 🥰🍁🌻🏈
Kari @ Me and My Captain
Love the day of the dead decor. So colorful. The skull plates are pretty colorful. I do not do much for Halloween with living in a 55 and up community now. No tricker treaters. I do more fall decor. Your table is whimsy and fun. Have a great week. Hugs. Kris
ReplyDeleteRicki Jill, such a fun table with so much color. I have done a few Dia de Muertos tables. The skull plates are perfect along with the Mexican corazones with butterfly handles . Darling table with the Marigolds. Love your MKC vase. So many fun details. Always a pleasure hopping along with you.
ReplyDeleteYour Day of the Dead theme is so colorful, Ricki Jill. I love how you incorporated so many elements pertaining to the celebration. I never heard of corazones, but they sure are cute and go so well with your MKC vase. Thank you for explaining about the Day of the Dead.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed learning more about the "Day of the Dead, Ricki Jill. The symbolism of the butterfly and its return to Mexico on such an auspicious day is really interesting. I can see how the spirits of those passed could be associated with the beauty of the butterfly. Whether you are celebrating in Mexico or "All Hallows Eve" here or in Europe the importance of those passed is the same. I loved the way you have such gorgeous colors in your tablescape. the use of marigolds is perfect. Wishing you a Happy Halloween.
ReplyDeleteLynne, Thrifting Wonderland
The Day of the Dead is a striking variation of the Halloween theme, with one based on fear of the spirits and the other a celebration of their memory. And the profusion of colors and flowers is a vibrant contrast to the themes of dark mystery. I love the embroidered table runner and napkins and the choice of bold marigolds for a centerpiece. The sugar skull plates are marvelous and the butterfly mugs make the perfect connection to the returning monarchs. Feliz Dia de los Muertos!
ReplyDeleteRicky Jill, this is such a colorful, charming table. I've always enjoyed the tradition of Day of the Dead. The Mexican influence is here in Texas, so many restaurants have beautiful alters set up to celebrate this day. Fresh marigolds are sold in the grocery stores. Several friends set up alters in their homes. Thanks for sharing your beautiful, colorful table.
ReplyDelete