All Saints

November 1st is All Saints' Day on the liturgical calendar.  This is the day when we remember all of who have died, especially those who have died in the past year.  If you are Lutheran (and a few other denominations), chances are good you'll be singing  this hymn on Sunday:

"For All the Saints Who from Their Labors Rest"
by William W. How, 1823-1897

1. For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confess,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest,
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Or, if you're like me, you've been singing it all day today because it's been stuck in your head.  At any rate, I went looking for saint shoes for tonight's post:

Of course, the majority of what pops up are along these lines, which isn't exactly what I was going for, so I had to look a little harder.

This is more along the lines of what I had in mind, but it seems extremely disrespectful to be stomping around on icons and the faces of the saints.

Less disrespectful (?), but I'm thinking I'll stick with icons that sit on a shelf or hang on a wall rather than go on my feet.

Today I've been thinking about my dad's sister who died unexpectedly recently.  As always I also think of my grandparents and many other loved ones who have died.  I hope you are able to celebrate the lives of your loved ones who have died as well, even as you grieve them.

Day of the Dead

Before we get to the shoes, I have to confess to being a bad dragon mama and not posting them in their costumes yesterday. So here they are.

Yes, the bearded dragons got to be real dragons for Halloween. Yes, I have too much time on my hands.

And moving on.  Today is All Saints Day, a day when we remember and celebrate the loved ones  who have died.  On a similar note, it's also The Day of the Dead in Mexico and many other cultures around the world.  It's the same concept as All Saints, but way more explicit.  People dress up and paint their faces like skeletons.  There are also foods in the shapes of coffins and skeletons.  They definitely don't hide from death, instead they celebrate the lives of those who have died and recognize that death is a part of life.

If  you weren't looking closely, you might think these were just flowers rather than flowers and skulls. I actually think they're adorable.

 

Wow, these are bright.  But I like them.  Way more festive than my skeleton socks!

A little more subdued, but still sticking with the theme.

I love this, too.  I love the color and the way the pattern pops from the black shoe.

These are...wow.  There is a LOT going on with these.   You know how I love a wedge, but these are just too much for me.

For those of you who prefer a nice cowboy boot as opposed to heels or tennies.

Even babies can have cute Day of the Dead shoes.  These are great.

Whether All Saints or Day of the Dead, I hope you took a few moments (or a lot more) today to remember those who have died, and to give thanks for the influences they had in your life.

I've already set my clocks back, and I'm looking forward to that lovely extra hour of sleep.