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.

This was an Ofrenda in honor of one athlete who was going to participate in the Panamerican games but died tragically with her family in a car accident days before it started. The Ofrenda was placed in the City Museum.

Close up

The Catrina

Traditional flowers

I use to own a home in Lake Chapala. The flowers in my yard were breathtaking. I really miss being able to go there.

Thank you for the pictures, brought back fond memories.

Wow, thanks so much for the cross-cultural experience!

CLMI

I have never seen anything like that........thank you for posting!

I haven't either - way cool! And so much color! I miss color in my monochrome winter world...

Thank you TC!!!

Living so close to the border and having the very HIGH Hispanic population here, we quite a bit of the Hispanic culture celebrated here, we see this and other traditions.

I have to say though, this last 11/2 there was nothing THAT MAGNIFICENT, but all were very colorful and beautiful.

Again, thank you so much.

Love and hugs,

((TC))) - that is really cool. I like the idea of honoring those we have lost. In my church, we have "all Saints day" and it's sort of the same, though a bit more current. All the people the congregation has lost are printed in the bulletin. My mom was the church secretary, died 20 years ago, and to see her name included was really a cool thing.

Hugs and prayers,

Amy

What a beautiful shrine for a lovely young woman...I've never seen anything like it although I am aware of "The Day of the Dead".

Thanks for sharing..
arty

Beautiful pictures!

Amazing pictures! Thank you, TC! :)

That's so cool. Thank you for the pics and especially for the cross-cultural education. What a fascinating tradition!

L