29 Oct
A tradition to bring alive.
When we remember our loved ones who have passed away we focus on the past and this inevitably brings nostalgia and sadness. We miss what has been lost and the idea that they won’t turning back is difficult to accept. For our older adults there is a feeling of constant mourning due to the recurring losses that they may suffer over the years, whether their friends or their partner among other close friends of the same age.
The work carried out by the Research Program in Psychology of Aging, Tanatology and Suicide of the UNAM indicates that; rituals such as funerals or traditional rites such as the elaboration of the altar on the day of the dead help to make a resignification of the duel. This is achieved by socializing the loss with emotional expressions of the feelings it generates, “ by examining the attitudes of the bereaved towards the funerals, finding that the funeral was considered as an opportunity to express the pain in a public way, while emotional support is received from family and friends. ”
Seizing the opportunity to be with our older adults is essential to avoid these lapses of sadness that could be sharpened especially in these seasons, activities such as the elaboration of dead altars can be a good way to focus our emotions. To make them participate in the elaboration of the altar has a greater meaning than just to follow a tradition, the most important part is the naturality with death must be seen.