Rescues benefit from candle sales

By Gabriela Pataro

As we approach all Hallows Eve with costumes and candy, we see the ever-increasing tradition of the uniquely Mexican Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) blossoming every year north of the border.  

Dia de los Muertos goes back 3000 years to the rituals honoring the dead in Pre-Columbian Meso America in the area now known as central Mexico. The Aztecs, royalty of native tribes and other people practiced a view of life and death being omnipresent and united. In Mexico it is very common to hear a person name the number of children they have to include the deceased. 

“I have four children, three with me and one in heaven,” they say. Death is a mere part of life. Before colonization people believed the death of a person was a trip to a place called Chicunamictlán (chee-coo-na-meek-tlan) for a long period of time and finally arriving for eternal rest at a place they called Mictlan (meek-tlan). As the Catholic colonists invaded and dominated Mexico the tradition gradually blended into the All Hallows Eve, the night before the Catholic holiday of All Souls Day where all pray for their dearly departed to rest in heaven.  

The altars are filled with photos, a small belonging, their favorite beverage, food, candy or bread. The skulls and vivid colors of fall along with marigolds abound, no different than when we have our deceased photos near their favorite baseball cap, coffee cup, etc. Mesero restaurants founder, Trey Dyer, has been celebrating this event for a few years. 

This year, upon discovering the fabulous designs and colors of Franki Ray — a luxury products line founded by childhood besties Sasha Spivey and Stacey George, both of Casa Linda — he recruited them to design the candles. The friends and business partners — who met in kindergarten at St. Bernard of Clairvaux School, continued on to Bishop Lynch and were separated by college but still remained friends — jumped at the opportunity to develop more color and design since their motto is “anything but beige.” The ladies launched FrankiRay, (named after their father’s Franki, a known restaurateur and Raymond, a local businessman) in March of 2020. 

A trip to one of the various locations of Mesero Mexican spirit style food gives one the opportunity to see the altars at each location. Purchase a Franki Ray designed candle $10 and $1 of each candle sold will benefit Angie’s Friends Rescue, whose founder, Angie Manriquez, is an 80-year-old woman who feeds and rescues dogs and cats in need of better lives. Manriquez was very excited to know she was selected by the young business owners, saying, “Oh good, we have at least six puppies and tiny Sadie of eight pounds who need homes, and our funds are low.”

The spirit of commerce and charity always rings well in the hearts of those who prefer to spend their dollars with businesses involved in community. The candles can also be purchased online at FrankiRay.com, and donations can be made directly to Angie at AngiesFriends.org.