I will be the first to admit that La Palma likes nothing better than a jolly good fiesta. In fact almost anything, noteworthy or not, can have its own special day. For example, La Fiesta del Entierro de la Sardina, the Fiesta of the Funeral of the Sardine. However, fiestas are not to be confused with religious days, which are often Public Holidays.
And one of these very special religious days is the Día de Todos los Santos - All Saints Day - which is held on 1st November. Here on La Palma it is normally called El Dia de los Difuntos, the Day of the Deceased.
This is a day which is dedicated to remembering, not just the saints, but also those who have gone on before such as relatives, friends and neighbours. There is a saying, 'Nadie más muerto que el olvidado' - Nobody is more dead than the forgotten. And in Spain, they say it with flowers thus making sure nobody is forgotten.
Prior to the day, cemeteries are given a spruce up and flower shops begin the task of trying to make sure there are enough flowers. In the larger towns and cities, people are literally queuing up to buy flowers. But even in smaller places, if you leave buying your flowers until the last moment, they will have run out.
A rather improbable venue for a celebration, the cemetery, becomes a hive of activity on 01 November, with swathes of people turning up every few minutes with arms full of flowers. At our village in the north of La Palma, groups of cheerful local ladies trim, tweak and tidy the blooms into beautiful arrangements, sprays and posies with which they decorate not just tiered vaults but also the ancient graves. In a jamboree of festive colour, a celebration of life gradually blossoms.
And so, one of the lovely things about the Day of the Deceased is that the cemeteries are not just a place for sadness, but also for happiness and laughter when recalling the good times. There may be sobbing or singing but always there is an over-riding sense of support for each other. It is certainly a bitter-sweet experience of remembering and celebrating all rolled into one.
It really is a question of flower and glory, for ever and ever.
I think we can say Amen to that.
