Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead

This year I learned more about The Day of the Dead than I ever have before.



For example, I read a fine blog entry by Michael Dickson. He lives in Tzurumútaro, near Pátzcuaro, Michoacán. I have been reading his blog for over a year now, and enjoy each and every entry. You can read his latest entry (well, as of today) here. I didn't realize that people go to their relatives' graves and sit and wait for their spirits to come visit. It is a celebration.



On the 11 o'clock news last night there was a story about the Dia de los Muertos. There was a host of sweets and goodies made and shaped like skulls and skeletons. One man showed a shrine to his father. It was wonderfully bizarre from the skeleten figure waving out of what seemed to be a papier mache car window, and little sweet skulls adorning it all around. It is truly wierd and wonderfully exuberant celebration. Not sad at all.



Our culture is so immured in the western version of death, I think it would make so much more sense to honor our loved ones passed by celebrating their spirits and their love in a similar way.