entre Halloween y Muertos

Perhaps I'm biased because October is my birthday month, but Halloween holds a special magic for me.  Although I'm delighted by the prospect of celebrating Día de los Muertos, I felt the urge to infuse some of my American customs into the weekend celebrations.  Here is the result of hours of giggling, drawing and carving with my niece and nephew.

The following are pictures of a grade school's Halloween festival.  Each class did a little dance (one was to a Spanish version of "Monster Mash") and recited a poem or scary story. 


a most adorable vampire and behind him, one of his wives



no one laughed at this joker

 The Day of the Dead is often difficult to explain, especially since each region within México celebrates or observes it in a different way.  However, it is important to note that it is primarily a sensory experience, for both the living and the dead.  The living must remind the visiting spirits of the world they left behind, a world full of material things.  The four elements (earth, wind, water, fire) are fundamental pieces of the puzzle, no offering is complete without them.

This is the school's collective ofrenda (offering).  In the foreground is a smaller version of the sun stone and in the back we see the altar.  The most splendorous part of any ofrenda is probably the food (as seen on the mat between altar and sun stone).  The dishes set out are those that the deceased most enjoyed in life.  Tequila and cigarettes are also often included =)  Water, the fountain of life, is placed in a glass for the thirsty spirits and fire, a spiritual purifier, is set out in the form of candles.



The bright color of the zempaxochitl flowers marks the path between this life and the next, making sure the deceased are not lost on their journey.  Incense is lit to mix with the smell of the flowers, creating a welcoming aroma for the visitors.  Papel picado is definitely my favorite element; the variety of colors and the texture of the paper represent the delights and fragility of life.




Pan de muerto is essential to any ofrenda.  It comes sugar-coated (above) or with sesame seeds.  Delicioso!!