Very tardily I wanted to write a little about the Day of the Dead. I went first a few years ago, and I am totally done with Halloween now. What a marvelous celebration! It is an Aztec ceremony with a very thin veneer of Christianity applied to the top. If you would like to read more about the ceremony itself, you can click here or here.
I took the photos I have attached at the main cemetary in San Miguel. It was completely packed with families who had come out to clean and decorate the graves of their relatives. They bring a picnic along and spend the day. It was quite a scene!
The whole town has an intoxicating smell of marigolds and incense. The marigolds are a traditional flower for the Day of the Dead, and incense is burned on the altars that dot the town.
Families make altars to their dead. The altars range from simple to extremely extravagant. Most are in homes, but some are in the Jardin and in other public spots around town. The Spanish School my children have attended, the Centro Bilingue, turned its entire courtyard into the most elaborate altar I have ever seen. They invited my kids to help in its construction. The folks at Centro Bilingue are a great group.
I am trying to put on a few more photos but I'm having no luck. I'll cut this post short and post more photos on another post.
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