Til Death Do Us Part?

One of the pleasures of having an April 30th Halloween is that the lead up is free of all the trappings that precede Halloween in October. I love the fun build up to October Halloween but I also love that the days leading up to April Halloween have special and appropriate significance for me.

April begins with April Fool’s Day which is one of my “New Year” days on which I review the journey I have been on and plan for the journey ahead. In the middle of April is Bat Appreciation Day followed by Bram Stoker’s Death Day and ANZAC Day. The month ends with both Walpurgis Night and Halloween!

Halloween is one of many different days observed around the world that is dedicated to remembering and honouring our dead. The cultural importance of these days suggests that for many, “Til Death Do Us Part”, doesn’t really work. As I get into the Halloween spirit, I remember my beloved dead and how the ties I have with them have not ended even though they have departed from this realm.

This year I began Halloween by having morning tea at the Fawkner Tearooms situated in Fawkner Memorial Park.

It’s evening now and I’m preparing mint tea and cakes for a very special Halloween Mourning Tea. To begin:

• Set a table as you would for a Silent Supper, with one place set for each guest and one place of honour set for your departed loved ones.
• Place food that reminds you of your loved ones on the table, placing a special offering on the plate for the dead. (I had coffin shaped chocolate cakes reserved for this occasion from my Deadly Surprise Cake, giving them new life by drizzling them with peppermint icing).
• Place drinks that remind you of your loved ones on the table, pouring a special offering into the cup for the dead.
• While you eat and drink, think about your departed loved ones.
• There is no right way to do a Silent Supper. Just do what feels right for you.

I created my own Mourning Tea ritual, inspired by the elaborate preparation and serving of Moroccan Mint Tea. A traditional Moroccan Mint Tea ritual combines a powerful spiritual and culinary journey that is beautifully described in this Maghrebi poem:

The first glass is as gentle as life,
The second glass is a strong as love,
The third is as bitter as death.

Mourning Mint Tea

Ingredients (enough for three guests)
small bunch mint leaves
3 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon peppermint tea leaves
1 tablespoon black tea leaves

Instructions
Place the fresh mint in a teapot.
Pour in boiling water and steep for eight minutes.
Fill the honoured guest cup a third of the way then pour a small serve of tea for each guest.
Add the peppermint tea to the teapot and steep for 6 minutes.
While the tea is having its second brew, relax and enjoy the gentle mint flavour of the first brew.
After six minutes, strain the tea into each cup following the ritual above.
Add the black tea to the teapot and steep for 4 minutes.
While the tea is having its third brew, relax and enjoy the stronger peppermint flavour of the second brew.
After four minutes, strain the tea into each cup following the ritual above.
Enjoy the bitter tea flavour of this third brew.
When you are ready to finish the ritual, pack everything up except the cake and tea reserved for your loved ones. If you can, leave them on the table overnight and then bury the cake and pour the tea in your garden on May Day.

Note: If you have a pot warmer or tea cosy, it will help keep the brew hot throughout.