OT Overdue pictures from Day of the Dead
The ritual to honor and remember the ones that have gone before us is 3000 years old and started with the indigenous people in Mexico.
In Nov. 2nd people go visit the cemetery and bring flowers and colorful decorations to cheer up the spirits that are coming to visit us.
Its customary to place an altar at home with pictures of the deceased, water and traditional food like bread that is prepared only around this day, because the trip from the Other life to this world is a long one and their souls are probably tired. Candles are placed to guide the spirits home.
People mock Dead by portraying it as a cheerful character, a female skeleton, who we call "Catrina", an elegant lady. Skulls (made out of candy) symbolize death and rebirth.
There are also small poems prepared which mention entertainers, public figures, some politicians that we would like the Catrina to take away immediately... we call the poems "calaveritas". And there are contests to see who has the most creative and funny poem.
The tradition of mocking the Dead is because there is a belief the souls are well and alive and there is no Death after all, just transitions.
Anyway enough with my clumsy "intro" to this tradition, here are some overdue pictures I have meant to share all these weeks but was too consumed by my codieness to have any energy, now I have it back so prepare yourself for totally off topic miscellaneous picture threads from Yours truly.