At this time of year everyone is going Halloween crazy… and we’ve been right in the spirit of it, suggesting costume ideas, exploring the history of the festival, and helping you find the Halloween party that’s right for you and your brood. But there’s another event around now which also puts the grin on the skeletons’ faces, and that’s Mexico’s “Dia de los Muertos,” the Day of the Dead.

It may not seem like an appropriate festival to celebrate with kids, but on the contrary, the Dia de los Muertos is very much a family occasion. It’s not about fearing or mourning our departed loved ones, but about celebrating their lives. The world got to know the Day of the Dead better through Disney-Pixar’s much-loved 2017 movie Coco.

The 2017 Disney Pixar move Coco made the Dia De los Muertos known around the world

One of the most distinctive visual symbols of the festival is the brightly-painted “sugar skull,” and this image is at the center of an exhibition at the Contemporary Art Culture Center, above Destination on Gongti Xilu. The exhibition will open at 5pm on November 1 in a ceremony at which the Mexican Ambassador, his Excellency José Luis Bernal, will be present. It then runs until November 10, from 10am to 6pm every day except Monday, and is free to visit.

Meanwhile, for the grown-ups, El Barrio is holding a Day of the Dead party on Saturday November 2, with a live Mariachi band, while Pachapapi is rocking it Latin-style on Friday November 1.

But if you don’t fancy getting a babysitter and sampling some tequila, you can still celebrate the Dia de los Muertos with your kids. Why not put together a traditional memorial for someone you’ve lost? Decorate a table with candles, skull decorations, and souvenirs from your loved one’s life: photos, cherished possessions, even their favorite food. Then – and this is the important thing – share happy memories of their life, tell funny stories, sing songs they loved. It should not be a morbid occasion, but a joyous one.

To all Mexican and Latin American friends, and to everyone celebrating this occasion, we at beijingkids say “Feliz, Dia de los Muertos!”

Photo: Gengiskanhg via Wikimedia Commons, rottentomatoes.com, courtesy of【ART·DES】

There are a lot of things from home I miss here in Beijing, decent skincare, “normal” toilets, and of course my friends and family. But MOST of all, I miss my home cuisine, and the ingredients that are easy to buy in Western supermarkets. I want to recreate some food that my family miss, share my recipes, and know where to get the ingredients. If you see a blonde lady on a bike with a toddler and bags of groceries, that’s me, on the hunt for little pieces of home.

Another drink that has recaptured my attention (although not a winter brew) is horchata. My Mexican friend in Houston, Texas in the United States introduced me to this drink in college. And while asking around in the Beijing expat community about culinary delights we miss from home, this drink resurfaced. As usual there will be debate on how to make this drink and which version is the best. All the ingredients can be found anywhere in Beijing, but don’t be fooled as horchata will warm your soul like you are on an unpolluted beach.

Horchata comes from Valencia in Spain, where orxata was made from ordi (barley). Although nowadays in Spain horchata is not made with barley but with tiger nuts, water and sugar. Horchata is served as a refreshment with ice. Variations can be made with nuts, rice, seeds, herbs, ground almonds, and lime zest.

Horchata de Arroz (rice) is by far my favorite and I remember my friend taking me to stands by the street in the blistering heat in Texas for a refreshing drink.

Ingredients:

½ cup rice                                                                                                                                                           Half cup raw almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon                                                                                                                               ½ teaspoon lime zest
6 cups of water
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Pulverize the raw rice in a blender.
2. Combine the rice powder with almonds, cinnamon, and lime zest in a bowl and cover with half the water. Let stand overnight.
3. Next day blend the mixture in a blender till smooth.
4. Combine the mixture with 3 cups of water and blend again.
5. Strain with cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel.
6. Add vanilla and sugar to taste.
7. Serve over ice!

Pauline van Hasselt has been working for beijingkids since October 2016. Born in Wassenaar, The Netherlands, she moved with her husband and her 3 year-old daughter to Beijing in June of this year. Prior she lived in the Netherlands, Belgium, Paraguay, Texas, and London, studying and working as a chef. Pauline enjoys biking around Beijing, finding markets and new restaurants, reading crime and fantasy books in bed, and most importantly, turning her house into a home for her family.