It's just been in the past two or three years when I began seeing wreaths for every holiday. Before, it used to be that wreaths were hung on doors at Christmas time and only at Christmas time. Nowadays, there is one for Thanksgiving, Valentine's, Easter, 4th of July, and Halloween.

In Mexico, families gather in cemeteries with flowers and the favorite food of their dearly departed. I once asked a Hispanic colleague, a Mexican American to be exact, why they bring food to cemeteries and place them on their departed family's graves. She said that by doing so, the souls of the departed can smell the aroma of the food they once enjoyed here on earth. "They don't necessarily have to be elaborate dishes, A slice of bread is fine," she added.

I liked the idea so much I have actually added food to the small altar I prepare at home to remember my parents and sister by besides the traditional flowers on All Saints and All Souls Day. I don't place fancy dishes. Just some fruit, chocolate and even chips.