“Oh my God, what if you wake up someday, and you’re 65, or 75, and you never got your memoir or novel written; or you didn’t go swimming in warm pools and oceans all those years because your thighs were jiggly and you had a nice big comfortable tummy; or you were just so strung out on perfectionism and people-pleasing that you forgot to have a big, juicy creative life, of imagination and radical silliness and staring off into space like when you were a kid? It’s going to break your heart. Don’t let this happen.” – Anne Lamott
November 2, 2014
Today was the Day of the Dead, a popular holiday in Latin America.
Despite the name, the day is a festive day, rather than sad or morbid, where most of the town gathers at the local cemetery and families celebrate and remember those who have passed on.
In the days leading up to today, it is common to see people preparing for the festivities by weeding around the graves, dusting off layers of dirt, perhaps adding a coat of paint. Many of the above-ground tombs have openings in front where the family keeps photos, flowers, candles, and other memorabilia than is viewed through glass or metal bars.
This morning families left early for the cemetery, bringing candles and fresh ribbons to add to the tombs of loved ones. Extended families congregate at each family’s grave and have a rezo together, saying prayers. Afterward, the family hands out candy as a thank you for their attendance. The extended family then moves to the next group of graves and continues the ritual for all family members. For example, one rezo for the deceased Romeros, one for the Benitez, etc.
I love that Latinos choose to remember their dead in celebratory style rather than with years of grieving and sadness. This is definitely a tradition and way of thinking that I want to bring home with me.
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed. View on approach; people gathered fora short mass at a family grave. They will then move to another grave and do the same. After each mass the family offers candy to those who have prayed.
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed. After friends have gathered for a short mass at a grave, the family of the deceased hands out candy. Here two girls by-pass the mass but attentively await the moment when the candy appears.
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed. It is common for family of the deceased to light candles in the crypts and refresh old ribbons, clean the grave of weeds, sometimes dusting off the dirt or adding a coat of new paint.
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed. It is common for family of the deceased to light candles in the crypts and refresh old ribbons, clean the grave of weeds, sometimes dusting off the dirt or adding a coat of new paint.
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed. It is common for family of the deceased to light candles in the crypts and refresh old ribbons, clean the grave of weeds, sometimes dusting off the dirt or adding a coat of new paint.
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed. It is common for family of the deceased to light candles in the crypts and refresh old ribbons, clean the grave of weeds, sometimes dusting off the dirt or adding a coat of new paint.
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed. The view from the back of the cemetery is spectacular – overlooking the prairie!
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed.
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed. Though it is the Day of the Dead, the day has a festive atmosphere rather than one of dread and despair.
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed. people gathered fora short mass at a family grave. They will then move to another grave and do the same. After each mass the family offers candy to those who have prayed.
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed. Here you can see family crypts designed for several family members. The back of the crypt has telltale signs of the original openings that have been cemented over after the casket was placed inside. The left and middle crypts are designed to be built upward to hold more caskets as needed.
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed.
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed.
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed.
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed. Families go to great lengths to tidy their loved ones’ graves by cleaning and weeding for today’s festivities
El Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) – a day-long fiesta of fun, food, and prayers to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed.
El Dia de los muertos – no Day of the Dead would be complete without a partial cow skeleton near the cemetery. Actually, this is not an uncommon sight in the campo.
El Dia de los muertos – no Day of the Dead would be complete without a partial cow skeleton near the cemetery. Actually, this is not an uncommon sight in the campo among the hundreds of termite mounds.
Somewhere in Paraguay 