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| Sugar Skeletons |
Just got back from an eventful and interesting Day of the Dead in Patzcuaro, Michoacan. The distinctly Mexican holiday has been taking place in Patzcuaro for 100s of years. The night we arrived (November 1st) we headed out to Janitzio, the island town in the middle of Lake Patzcuaro. I was expecting a sobering procession of grieving and honoring the dead. What we found instead was a big Mexican fiesta, complete with tequila, beers, jarros locos, and plenty of delicious food. At first I thought that this was completely disrespectful to the dead people. Slowly I began to realize that the fiesta was the tradition to honor and celebrate the dead.
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| Candles on Janitzio |
The island and cemeteries in and around Patzcuaro were packed with people. A few were adorning graves with colorful flower displays and pan de los muertos. Most were armed with cameras taking photos of the process. It was difficult to walk without stepping on graves. The party went on and on until the morning. Even at our campsite outside the city we could find no peace as music blasted until 7am.
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| Catrina Dolls |
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| Church in Patzcuaro |
My school celebrated both Halloween and Dia de los Muertos together on November 1st. I've never seen such a huge Halloween party. All the grades (K through 12) were in costume and parents came to school to watch a parade. In every classroom the 'room mothers' set up elaborate spreads of festive food for the kids and teachers to eat. All in all a very fun day.
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| Albert Einstein- "I miss my beard!" |
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