Posted by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Captain’s Quarters - Dancing On Toes, Losing The Rhythm

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Faye Calloway (Counter-Intelligence Officer) in Captain’s Quarters - Dancing On Toes, Losing The Rhythm

(snip)

Faye smiled. “They’re pretty easy, so you’ll have them,” she said as she rifled through the seed packets, looking for one that would be suitable. “So tell me about this celebration and why you like it much.”

~Faye

Alex said “Ok, so Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, started several thousand years ago with the Aztec, Toltec, and other native Central American Earth peoples. They considered mourning the dead disrespectful. For them, death was a natural phase in life’s long continuum. The dead were still members of the community, kept alive in memory and spirit. During Día de los Muertos, they temporarily returned to Earth. Modern Día de los Muertos celebrations are a mash-up of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Christian feasts. It takes place on November 1 and 2—All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on the old Catholic calendar, in order to coincide with the time of the fall maize harvest.” He looked at Faye and then leaned against a table.

“The centerpiece of the celebration is an altar, or ofrenda, people built and maintain in private homes and familial cemeteries. These aren’t altars for worshipping; rather, they’re meant to welcome spirits back to the realm of the living. As such, they get loaded with offerings—water to quench thirst after the long journey, favorite foods, family photos, and a candle for each dead relative. If one of the spirits is a child, you might find small toys on the altar. Marigolds are the main flowers used to decorate the altar. Scattered from altar to gravesite, marigold petals guide all the wandering souls back to their place of rest. People use smoke from copal incense, made from a tree resin, to transmit praise and prayers and purify the area around the altar.” He looked around the green house, but his eyes focused elsewhere.

“I want to have us remember all those that came before us. I think being so far from home, remembering them may help us stay grounded in why we do what we do.”

Cochrane, CO

Packet of seeds in hand, Faye was still crouched, stunned into momentary silence. Her eyes glimmered. “I really like that idea. And best part is these will grow quickly, especially with some additional heat, so maybe I’ll get to see it all. It sounds lovely,” she said softly.

Sealing the stasis chamber, Faye moved over to the table and set the packet down. “Okay, seed starting. We’ll start them with our seed mix, which is a loose and fine soil mix that provides just enough nutrients to get the seedlings to the transplant stage, which is usually three to four weeks depending on their growth. I’ll grab the growing medium if you want to grab a tray. A twenty-four cell tray should do well. There are some just under the bench,” she said as she moved to the other side of the greenhouse where cabinets and shelves held supplies.

~Faye