Well, I learned a lot during the days leading up to and during the dia de Muertos. In another post, I explained the "altars" that are used to honor the dead. They are found in houses and businesses/schools etc...The altar is covered with flowers, favorite foods of the deceased, a picture of the deceased, bread (made especially for this special time) ,incense, often Tequila (or Coca Cola for some), water/soap/towel (so the deceased can clean up before eating), salt (for purfication), decorations of happy skeleton people or skulls (often made of sugar), candles, and toys or special personal items of the deceased. These altars are set up all over town in the week or so leading up to Dia de Muertos.
On the days of Dia de Muertos- Nov. 1 to remember children and Nov. 2 to remember adults, there is a lot of activity at the cemetary. The families of the deceased gather at the cemetary to clean, decorate the graves with flowers, and make repairs or paint the tomb stones or shrines. More importantly, the families gather and remember the dead in a sad but joyous way. People sit on or near the grave stones and eat food, listen to the band, or buy snacks from a vendor. It was very touching for me to see the people lovingly tending the grave sites and visiting with each other and more than likely, talking about their loved ones who have passed on. There is also a special mass/church service that takes place in the Catholic Church on this night.
I notice that Canadians seldom visit the grave sites of deceased and people are uncomfortable with death. I like the way the Mexican and other Central and South Americans acknowledge and live comfortably with death. I was so moved by the experience that I may start an altar for my father next year. I would need to put out a beer for my Dad, his military uniform (he was in the army) and some pictures!! Perhaps, in the future, I can incorporate some sort of Dia de Muertos altar in my classroom for the deceased family/friends of the students in my class.
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| Entrance to the cemetary with flower and snack vendors set up (notice the sign above: Day of the Dead- A Tradition of Life and Remembering (my translation may be a bit off) |
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| Woman on the right going to deliver flowers to the grave site. |
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| Full band and singer to entertain at the cemetary. |
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| Family visiting at grave site ( I took this picture from a large distance and then zoomed it in to be considerate of their privacy as a family.) |
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| Man repainting the tomb/shrine of his loved one. |
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| Inside of a tomb/shrine of the dead. |
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| People visiting grave sites and a snack vendor parked on the right. |
Additionally, during this two day period, there was a Festival de Dia de Muertos. It took place a large fairground where people could watch live performances on a large stage on death themes. It was not morose at all, it was very fun. There were also shops and vendors out in full force sellinng their wares. The most amazing part to me, was the competition of Las Catrinas. It is a competition to find the best and most beautiful skeleton lady. Look at the photos below and you will see what I mean!
