DIA DE LOS MUERTOS
"Dia de los Muertos" is a Mexican celebration.
It is believed that the spirits of our departed loved ones come to visit us
from October 31 to November 2nd.
Altars are many times set up at homes with the photos of the departed and offerings
of what they use to enjoy when they were alive are placed there.
Their favorite foods are prepared and are placed on these altars.
Pan De Muerto, candles, incense, their favorite candies, and sometimes cigarettes
and even Tequila are examples of some of the offerings.
Cemeteries during these days are colorfully decorated with fresh flowers and papel picado.
Eating sugar skulls and visiting the cemetery with skull makeup
is a big part of this tradition, like spending all day by the grave of a loved one.
Many will go prepared with food and blankets and will spend even the whole night there.
Day of the Dead is just around the corner and it brings not only my birthday but also a whole bunch
of childhood memories. Memories about the times when my grandmother, my mother and I
would spend a whole day at the cemetery back in Mexico.
Visiting grave after grave of our dead relatives and spending the whole day at the cemetery
was part of our Dia de Los Muertos tradition.
The cemetery during those days looked more like a festive garden.
Bright-colored decorations hanging from trees and most graves completely covered in multi-colored
flowers is one thing that I can still remember very vividly.
Music, laughter, and a sad sob somewhere among the graves was what filled the air
together with the smell of the flowers and of the delicious street food.
Buying a sugar cane for each one of us and then walking around the cemetery sucking
the sweet juice out of it was also a tradition for us. But for me, the highlight of that day
was not that it was my birthday, but to find the prettiest sugar skull with my name on it
among all the vendor stands that were filled with flowers, Mexican candies, arts, and pottery,
and so on.
Dia de Los Muertos is a celebration, a joyous day when our dearly departed are believed
to come and spend that time with us, enjoying what they used to in life.
What am I wearing?
A Precious Restless Creation
Catrina - Dia De Los Muertos Lady
from
Boudoir
