Celebrate Life with the Day of the Dead Retreat

Fall is in full colour and Halloween will soon be here. Costumes and candy are fun, but another special celebration for the same day may have deeper significance for our personal development and the larger aspects of our lives: The Day of the Dead.

History

Day of the Dead Skulls The Day of the Dead (or Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday, in which Mexicans celebrate and honour their deceased ancestors and loved ones. It isn’t a day for grieving, but rather is believed to be a time for the souls of the deceased person to visit and celebrate with them. The Day of the Dead was originally celebrated at the beginning of summer, but after the colonization of Mexico by the Spanish, the celebration was changed to align with the catholic celebration of Allhallowtide on November 1. The oldest form of the Day of the Dead is believed to have been first celebrated in 2,500 – 3,000 BC.

The Celebration begins on October 31, when children make a children’s altar to invite the souls of other children to visit. On November 1st, the souls of adults come to visit. Finally, on November 2, the most well known part of the celebration begins, when families go to the cemetery to decorate the graves and tombs of their relatives. The three day festival is filled with marigolds (the flowers of the dead); muertos (the bread of the dead); sugar skulls; cardboard skeletons; tissue paper decorations; fruit and nuts; incense, and other traditional foods and decorations.

Our Retreat

Over the Halloween weekend (Oct 30 – Nov 1) we will pause to remember our deceased loved ones with story telling and feasting. The death of people we love is one of the great wounds of life. With this in mind, The Day of the Dead retreat is a weekend for you to remember, share, celebrate and honour deceased loved ones.

Attend this retreat with someone in mind to honour. Bring photos, mementos, favourite foods and stories to share with others and create an altar. The weekend will include meditation and yoga classes, our ever scrumptious food, and a cozy cabin all within the backdrop of the transition of fall, allowing time to decompress and return home refreshed.

Find the retreat details here for this unique weekend retreat.

Ingredients

Crust

½ cup vegan butter, such as Earth Balance
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling

1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice
2 large apples

Topping

½ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup of oats
¼ cup pecan pieces
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup vegan butter

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350

Starting with the crust, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Fold in the remaining ingredients; this will have a texture of cookie dough.
Press dough into a 9×9 baking dish. Pre-bake crust for 15mins or until edges are golden brown. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before adding other layers.
While crust bakes prepare filling by peeling and slicing apples and tossing together with remaining ingredients, set aside.
To make topping melt the vegan butter. In a separate bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients. Pour over top of dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Add apple mixture on top of the cooled crust, spreading out evenly, making sure to add any accumulated juices.
Sprinkle topping onto apple mixture, and bake for 20-25mins or until apple layer is bubbly and topping is golden brown.
Allow to cool to room temperature before slicing and Enjoy!!!

Blog Monthly Archives: October 2020