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Bilingual information crusade
 Washington, DC — The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the launch of its first national public service announcement (PSA) campaign in Spanish to raise awareness of GobiernoUSA.gov and 1(800) FED-INFO, two valuable information services for Spanish-speaking Americans.

GobiernoUSA.gov is the official Web portal for U.S. government information and services in Spanish, and 1(800) FED-INFO is the toll-free number that provides the same great information and help.

“The new Spanish-language PSA campaign will encourage the growing Hispanic community to use these two very helpful services,” said GSA Administrator Lurita Doan.

   Vicente Fox’s new book released
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox has a new book out — it was released on Oct. 4 — and the fireworks have already begun.

“Revolution of Hope: The Life, Faith, and Dreams of a Mexican President” was co-written by Fox and Rob Allyn.

Early reports on the book include some already controversial comments by Fox about President George W. Bush, whom Fox supposedly calls “the cockiest man I’ve ever met in my life.”

Fox goes on to assess the president’s Spanish-speaking skills as “grade-school level” and also includes his takes on other world leaders.

The book’s list price is $27.95. “Revolution of Hope” is published by Viking Adult.

   REAL soul food
Increasingly, Hispanic traditions and celebrations are going mainstream. Such is the case for Dia de los Muertos, as more non-Hispanics are visiting the graves and honoring the memory of passed loved ones with altars decorated with skulls and most importantly, delicious plates of food.

The tradition of making sugar skulls runs deep among Latino families. However, there’s another ingredient that could be used to make sweet treats for this special day — honey.

To help celebrate Dia de los Muertos, the National Honey Board recreated traditional Dia de los Muertos recipes made with honey, a customary ingredient that according to legend, gives a unique sweetness to the journey from life on earth to life after death.

Día de los Muertos, celebrated on Nov. 2, is originally an Azteca custom celebrating their dead during the ninth month of the solar calendar. Although the original festivities have changed through time, their essence is intact.

The Spanish colony brought the Catholic faith to the new world and missionaries tried to make death a more solemn event. However, much of the Aztec tradition prevailed and their fusion became the Dia de los Muertos as we know it today.

Dia de los Muertos festivals have grown and they aren’t only practiced in Mexico anymore but also in many U.S. cities where people of diverse backgrounds can be found enjoying the celebrations.

Dia de los Muertos traditions entail visiting loved ones’ tombs where it’s customary to place offerings such as food, candles, a picture of the deceased as well as his/her favorite dishes. Family and friends share traditional delicacies made with honey such as Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead), buñuelos (fried sweet pastry), miniature sugar skulls and atole.

This year, Dia de los Muertos falls on a Friday — a great opportunity to extend the celebrations of the dead throughout the weekend.

Go to: www.mielpura.org for Dia de los Muertos recipes.