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Dia de los Muertos: A spiritual celebration for the departed Oct 30, 2013 By Eduardo Stanley

Dia de los Muertos: A spiritual celebration for the departed

Oct 30, 2013

By Eduardo Stanley

This Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) altar is filled with offering for the dead. The celebration has a strong indigenous and Catholic influence. (Photo Eduardo Stanley)

For the last 20 years, Rosa Hernandez, a Oaxacan simple woman living in Madera, Calif., has prepared an altar for her dead loved ones.

“Every year, I’ll prepare my altar. Its going to be very simple,” says Hernandez. “You can’t miss this date.”

The altar is set for Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, which celebrates on November 2 family members and friends who have died. November 1, is also Day of the Dead but it is in honor of the young ones who died.

In Latin American countries, this tradition comes from two main sources: the indigenous and the Catholic. In Mexico, the tradition of celebrating Dia de los Muertos has a strong indigenous roots. Apparently, during the “conquista” the Catholic Church played a fundamental role in conquering the spirits of the native inhabitants of the region. Among the ways to do so, the church overlaid images and traditions over those native people, as well as built churches on top of pyramids and other sacred places.

In many ways, this process resulted in the hybrid religious expression we see today.

“When I was in Oaxaca, my family used to go to the cemetery where our loved ones rest… Early, very early, around two or three in the morning,” recalls Hernandez. “There you share with those who departed from this life, normally you stay up until the candle is almost consumed.”

The tradition behind Dia de los Muertos

An altar for Day of the Dead holds many of the favorite foods of passed loved ones. (Photo Eduardo Stanley)

According to the indigenous tradition, Dia de los Muertos is a day in which the spirits of the loved ones who died visit us. And you have to create the proper environment to receive them, so they feel welcomed. One way to do so is creating an altar, with photos of the departed, and other elements like food and memories of the dead ones.

The spirituality does the rest. You feel them, you converse with them. They see you and later on in the day, they go away, until next year.

“When I would be dead, I know I’ll visit my children, and they’ll prepare an altar to receive me,” says Hernandez. “Besides, I want my children to keep this tradition, its a tradition of our ancestors, its not a scary day. It is a day of joy!”

Hernandez explains that since she came to the United States, some members of her family have passed away, which makes more sense to her to celebrate the Dia de los Muertos. Nevertheless, she feels at the same time a connection with her family of Oaxaca because they are taking part in the same celebration.

In the last two decades, the agricultural labor force in the southwestern U.S. switched from Mexican farm workers to those of indigenous origins. Thousands of immigrants from the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Puebla and Guerrero —many of them speaking only their native tongues— are now part of an already diverse society.

The indigenous culture has a strong presence in some rural communities like in California’s Central Valley. Many families there are preparing their altars at home. While in some cases it is becoming a cult or well elaborated altars are decorating museums,, Dia de los Muertos is a private celebration, a spiritual encounter.

“I start preparing the altar ahead of time,” says Hernandez, who is of Mixtec indigenous origin. “I buy the fruits, the Pan de Muerto [bread of the dead], the sodas. Some stuff is difficult to find, like some fruits or the sugar skulls, but I do my best.”

A Oaxacan altar can’t miss the “mole” —a traditional sauce made from peanuts, chocolate and chiles, marigolds or flor de cempazuchitil— and other favorite dishes of loved ones that are honored that day liked when they were alive.

“It’s a special day, I know they’ll visit me and I want to be sure they like what I can offer them,” says an emotional Hernandez.

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Aloha Bar - Beach Meeting Point y se viene la SEMANA DEL TEEERROOOOR con los examenes! peero para eso existe Aloha Bar ! Disfrazate, Ven y relajate de la semana pesada! recuerden manden su calaverita por inbox para ganarse un pomo!! y en la madrugada se rifaran mas botellas! hell yeah party people

Aloha Bar - Beach Meeting Point

y se viene la SEMANA DEL TEEERROOOOR con los examenes! peero para eso existe Aloha Bar ! Disfrazate, Ven y relajate de la semana pesada! recuerden manden su calaverita por inbox para ganarse un pomo!! y en la madrugada se rifaran mas botellas! hell yeah party people

and TEEERROOOOR WEEK comes with exams! peero for that there Aloha Bar! Disfrazate, Come and relax in the week heavy! remember to send your inbox to earn calaverita by a knob! and in the early morning raffled more bottles! hell yeah party people

Zipolite, a que lindos momentos ¡, Zipolite, that beautiful moment!

Savater Villanueva,esZipolite,es

Zipolite, that beautiful moment!,gl

Brazilian Carlos Burle surfs huge wave in Portugal 29 October 2013

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-24726495

Brazilian Carlos Burle surfs huge wave in Portugal

29 October 2013 Last updated at 11:56 GMT

A Brazilian surfer claims to have successfully taken on the world's biggest wave in Portugal, which reportedly reached heights of up to 30 metres .

Carlos Burle is awaiting confirmation from Guinness World Records to see if he has beaten Garrett McNamara's effort on the same Nazare beach in January.

Catharina Moh reports.

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The Day of the Dead in Photos, Toluca, Mexico 2013 OCT 28 - Posted by TC

← Get Deported From Spain And Go To Mexico Instead

The Day of the Dead in Photos, Toluca, Mexico 2013

OCT 28

Posted by TC

November 2 is el Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico. Starting in early October, theFeria del Alfeñique is set up in central Toluca, with vendors, skeleton displays and shrines of offerings for dead relatives from various ethnic groups and universities in the State of Mexico.

The Ofrenda (Offering)

For this holiday, Mexicans remember their dead relatives by placing a shrine in their homes full of fruit, sweets, and sometimes booze. If Grandpa used to like a special tequila or whiskey, then in the ofrenda it goes, along with Grandma’s favorite snacks and candies.

The Cemetery Visit

Along with the ofrenda at home, many people pay a visit to the cemetery to decorate graves of dead relatives and spend some time with them.

“We don’t cry. It’s a celebration,” says Pedro, a guitarist and music teacher. His family decorates the graves of their ancestors with candles, photographs, and yellow and orange flowers. They tell stories and sing songs, and fill in their relatives on what’s new in their lives. Pedro just got engaged, so he will tell this to his grandmother.

Some people stay all night, drinking beer, tequila, or mescal, tequila’s cheaper cousin. If they drink, then they share with the dead, splashing a little on the ground now and then. All night in cemeteries across Mexico there is light from candles and fires, music, singing, and praying.

The Feria del Alfeñique (Alfeñique fair) in Toluca

Here in Toluca, where I live, about a hundred vendors set up in the Portales, a pedestrian mall and series of arches downtown, and sell all things related to the holiday. This is the Feria del Alfeñique, a great way to sample skull-and-bone-shaped Mexican candies.

Big sugar skulls called calaveras are the most representative candies of the Day of the Dead. The image, with its colorful trim and toothy, laughing mouth, can be seen everywhere – on plastic banners for restaurants advertising their special meal, cut out of decorative pastel paper, and on sugary candy of many sizes.

Aside from sweets you can get little handicrafts for your ofrenda. My favorites are thecalavaritas, little skeletons at work, such as doctors, teachers, musicians or strippers. They are great gifts – buy the one with the same job as your friend. Last year I bought a taco cook for a friend who’s a chef, and for a friend with an office job, a little skeleton in a suit with his skeleton secretary on his lap. They cost only a few dollars, a great deal for being handmade.

Toluca is a little off the tourist track, but it’s an easy trip from Mexico City – only an hour or two. Take a bus from the Observatorio station in Mexico City, and then a taxi (30 pesos) to downtown Toluca (centro) and the Portales.

November 1 or 2 are the nights for a cemetery visit, but if you come to Toluca anytime during the month before the Day of the Dead, you can get a good taste of the tradition at the Feria del Alfeñique right here in the center of town.

I’ve lived here in Toluca for a few years now, so I have other articles on this blog and elsewhere if you’d like to see some more pictures or read more about this important Mexican holiday.

Toluca’s Day of the Dead and Strange Mexican Candies

2012

2011

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