Episode 82: Episode 82: Day of the Dead and Mark's Adeventures

Tiki Central Canada

Hi Guys,
You ever wonder while listening to our show what its would sound like uncut and just how much editing does Craig do?? Well, due to finally recording live at Paola's house and some laptop experiences getting back to the right sound we ended up with a mono channel recording that I basically can't edit and is a raw file. I also wasn't being a good sound engineer and was clipping here and there on this recording...now, don't panic as its still a great show and tons of fun we had making it...just my OCD tells me not the best sound quality that I put into the show! We also got back our sound engineer for post (lost due to COVID as he shut down his studio in USA) and so he was able to clean it up more!!!
Ok, enough about that..as I say : Let's go onto the show!!!
Today's episode is one of my favorite holidays of the year and yes, it is in the fall season which is my favorite season....
Day of the Dead is a Mexican celebration that does coincide with Halloween but let's make it clear: it is NOT Mexico's Halloween or Independence day either! It's a joyful celebration for the deceased and help them to their journey to the after life. Now, what a minute Craig isn't dead after life...well in their culture the afterlife is actually 9 levels to the end of their journey and so this is one way to have the living spend time with their spirits and help them on their way. They celebrate with music, food, drinks and even sleep at their loved one's graves....
The cocktails we are doing today are two for this occasion (I want to say that as I don't do holiday themed drinks. Never have). First one is called ...you guessed it....Day of the Dead from the The Shameful Tiki Room in Vancouver Canada. We will explain how I got this recipe...quit the story thanks to Mark. The other cocktail is called: The Alebrije which has its own story. This one I got online and I will add a link below to the video.
So you ask, what is this Alebrije and what is story behind it. well if you watch CoCo (Disney's movie for the DOD) you will see a fantasy creature in it that is a mix of a dog and cat that looks like a flying jaguar. These creatures are called Alebrije and help guide the deceased spirits to the next level of their journey. Cool right!!
On Mark's adventures segment: We will talk about The Ventiki Tiki Lounge and Lanai in Ventura, California. It is right beside an amazing taco place which for Mark is a bonus!!!! He got to meet the owner Dwayne Couch and chatted about tiki and which drinks to have next with him and several locals during both visits. Link of this interview (conversation) is listed below.
On "Did you Know?" segment: We talk about some cool facts about Day of the Dead such as it was originally created back in Aztec time as was on the 9 month and not in November. It wasn't til Spain brought the Christian ways into their culture and they merged the two celebrations together with All Souls Day and All Saints Day. The celebration pays tribute to Mictecacihuatl (She is known as the "Lady of the Dead") which watches over the celebration and world of the spirits. By the way, today’s female figure we see today: la calavera Catrina (by the Mexican printmaker, cartoon illustrator and lithographer José Guadalupe Posada.) is the today’s representation of “lady of the Dead”.
In these ceremonies, people build altars in their homes with ofrendas, offerings to their loved ones’ souls. Candles light photos of the deceased and items left behind. Families read letters and poems (called Calaveritas ) and tell anecdotes and jokes about the dead. Offerings of tamales, chilis, water, tequila and pan de muerto, a specific bread for the occasion, are lined up by bright orange or yellow cempasúchil flowers, marigolds, whose strong scent helps guide the souls home. Why Marigolds? Well, it is said the scent and color draw the spirit back to their alters/graves where their loved ones waiting help celebrate with them that day.
Yeah, how can you not love this holiday?
Links to the show:
Recipes: https://tikicentralcanada.ca/recipes/
Alebrije cocktail YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMIMWbNsgSM
History of the DOD youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ale9DF9fZY8
Pan de Muerto (day fo the dead bread) Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-398T9q-cM
Link to Mark's interview with Dwayne Couch from the The Ventiki Tiki Loung: https://mega.nz/folder/yDYRkAKB#no5USMekhYarpZVbffi8Xw/file/aWZHQSTR
Poems for the DOD: https://www.joincake.com/blog/day-of-the-dead-poems/