Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

Carol’s Corner

November 1, 2007

I am repeating this submission from last year, because it explains the Sicilian idea of the Day of Deads which we call “All Saints Day” on November 1.

Il Girono Del Morti (Day of The Dead)

Carol Roach

Years ago when I was working for a life insurance company I had a Sicilian girlfriend. Paula was very superstitious. She would tell me about evil spells and the effects upon their victims. I learned about the practice of casting the "evil eye" among other things. I never really believed her but the stories were entertaining nonetheless.

One custom her family practiced was predicting the future on November lst, All Saints Day known to Christians and the Day of the Dead for Italians and other Latin based cultures. The celebration of Il giorno del Morti (Day of the Dead) is celebrated throughout Sicily. Like the customs of Halloween, the day of the Dead evolved with the influences of the Celtics, the Romans, and the Christian holy days of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Families will visit the cemeteries of loved ones. Special cookies known as "Bones of the Dead" are made for this day. In Mexico, the day of the Dead is known as Los Dias De Los Muertos (celebrated on the first and second day of November).

What Paula would do is take a big bottle of water and pour the white of an egg into it. She would make a wish and the morning of All Saints Day, or the Day of the Dead as she called it, she would look to see the pattern formed by the egg white floating in water. This pattern would indicate if her question or wish would be answered. She asked me to try it and so I did.

I wanted a promotion at the time and so I wished for it. The next day when I looked at my bottle of water and egg white, it took the shape of a Christmas tree. I determined I would have my promotion by Christmas. Paula laughed at me and said I was dreaming. I should have brought the bottle to work and she would have made the interpretation.

I did get my promotion in the month of December making Paula a firm believer in my ability to interpret "the egg". I read her egg for several years to come. Archives of my original story can be found in Storytime Tapestry my newsletter: : http://subs.zinester.com/98907

Carol Roach

winterose@videotron.ca

Check out her newest book,

Angels Watching Over Me. http://www.lulu.com/content/964306