Q-MoB Queer Men's Day of the Dead Potluck Celebration (Easthampton, MA)

Share food, beverage, photos, &/or objects of your departed beloved(s) & stories of how they continue to inspire you. Honor & celebrate.
About this Event

11/1 Q-MoB Queer Men's Day of the Dead Potluck Celebration (Easthampton, MA)
Sunday, 2-6pm
16 Main St # 2
Easthampton Town, MA 01027

JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE & HONOR HOW OUR BELOVEDS WHO HAVE DIED & LIVE ON IN US: We invite you to bring a dish, beverage, photo, &/or object (or none of those if you prefer) that reminds you of a beloved(s) who has died and that you would like to share with the group, and to consider also sharing a story of some quality you loved in them that lives on in you.

Don't feel intimidated by the suggestion to bring a food or beverage your beloved departed loved, as this could be something as simple as Kraft Mac & Cheese, Skittles, PBR, or their favorite chili, or you could just describe their favorite dish if you have no culinary talents or time to prepare. Also don't feel intimidated about sharing things you admired about your beloved, as you don't need to share anything to reflect on them and to be filled with that quality you cherish. Come as you are and bring them with you in any ways that feel authentic, easy, and celebratory. We don't expect you to feel anything that is not authentic or to do or say anything you are not comfortable with.

NOTES ON THE HISTORY OF DAY OF THE DEAD GATHERINGS: The Day of the Dead is a holiday celebrated in a variety of cultures and throughout history, but is most famous in its Dia de Los Muertes forms celebrated primarily in Mexico and by people of Mexican heritage worldwide. Its gatherings are a unique blend of solemn remembrance and joyous celebration, honoring deceased loved ones and welcoming the return of their spirits.

The roots of Day of the Dead gatherings stretch back thousands of years to the indigenous peoples of central and southern Mexico, most notably the Aztecs and other Nahua communities. Unlike the Spanish who would later arrive, these cultures did not view death as an end but rather as an integral part of the cycle of life. Their month long celebrations were in honor of a Goddess, the Lady of the Underworld, and this continues in modern times with an honoring of Mother Mary. These festivities, which took place in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar (roughly corresponding to August/September), involved honoring the deceased, as well as celebrating the harvest. It was a time for communities to come together, share food, and make offerings to the gods and their departed ancestors. These ancient gatherings included rituals of displaying skulls, a practice that has evolved into the modern-day sugar skulls, or calaveras.

While some of us may be inspired by some of these traditions, we feel free to invent our own queer versions of honoring our beloved departed and how they live on in us.

WHAT TO BRING

• a dish and/or beverage to share with about 6 other people that your beloved departed liked (which could include things like their favorite chili, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Skittles, or PBR), and perhaps sourced from our local farms, farmer's markets, and/or local food markets. Please don't be intimidatd by this request; if you have no culinary talents, you can just describe the dish or beverage they loved
• Please make a small sign for your dish that discloses if it contains any of these common allergens/restrictions: dairy, gluten, eggs, meat/chicken/fish, nuts/peanuts, MSG, preservatives, food colors, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, soy, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, etc.
• Feel free to bring a photo of your beloved departed &/or an object or piece of clothing that reminds you of them to put on the altar or to share with the group (if this is something you & they would like)
• $10-$20 Tax-Deductible Donation , in cash, or check made out to "Q-MoB Inc" (Q-MoB is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit that empowers rural queer men to broaden & deepen their connections with one another by providing more than 20 social, recreation, & arts/culture activities per month in the 8 rural counties in 4 states that make up the Greater Berkshire Region), or JOIN Q-MoB and donate $25/month, $35/mo, $50/mo, $75/mo, $100/mo so you can get into all our events FREE, or donate what you can afford or nothing at all if you request a low-income scholarship when you register

ALCOHOL POLICY: All potlucks are open to men 18 & older, and if anyone under 21 attends, we will card everyone who wants to drink alcohol and obviously not serve alchohol to anyone under 21, and we remind everyone it is a crime to give alcohol to someone younger than 21 and for someone under 21 to use alcohol. Q-MoB takes its commitment to preventing underage drinking very seriously. Because of Eventbrite Guidelines, men under 18 are not permitted at any Q-MoB event unless they have parental consent and this consent has been verified by Q-MoB.

INVITATION TO HELP CREATE QUEER MEN'S GRIEF SUPPORT & TRANSFORMATON GROUP: Out of this gathering we invite you to consider joining us in talking about creating an on-going group that may meet twice a month to support men who may be grieving departed family members, beloveds, friends, &/or teachers/mentors. This peer-support group will look at how we can feel our feelings AND transform that energy into actions in our lives that both honor what we appreciate about our departed and keep their Spirit alive in our lives.

OR : Please donate $10-$20 to help assure Q-MoB can continue to offer more than 20 activities & multiple resources & services to rural queer men all over the region. If you want to support Q-MoB's work of offering more than 20 activities, resources, and referrals, please consider becoming a monthly sustaining donor. By donating $25/mo, $35/mo, $50/mo, $75/mo, $100/mo or more you can help to sustain the incredible variety of activities, services, and resources Q-MoB provides and assure all of these activities are accessible to men regardless of their age, income, or ability, and best of all you can get into all regular Q-MoB activities FREE.

HOSTS & COMMUNICATING DAY OF THE EVENT: Co-hosts are Art Lavoie, who is a retired UCC minister, and who is interested in helping queer men reclaim the power of love and loss; and Bart Church, who is half Mexican and appreciates making spaces where queer men can connect with the power of their ancestors. If you have need to cancel the day of the event, will be late, or have trouble finding us, please call or text them at the cell phone numbers that will be in your confirmation email.. Before the day of the event you can call Q-MoB at 413-344-8162 if you have questions not answered above.