All Soul’s Day, a long-buried festival for us in North America, was one week ago. It begins with Hallow’s Eve, the end of the Celtic year, followed by the new year, one that recognizes our ancestors.
While a celebration of ancestors does not belong to the Celts exclusively (right here in British Columbia, there is a once a year feast for the ancestors) most of us in North America do not have an active relationship with our dead.
I had the privilege of journeying to my own ancestors on All Soul’s Day and here are some of the insights I gleaned from them: