D is for Day of the Dead
In Mexican tradition, Dia de Los Muertos is the day when the spirits who have passed on to the other side return to the human world to walk among the living. On this day, families visit the graves of their dead loved ones and build altars in their homes. They clutter the cemeteries with bright orange marigolds, bowls of fruit, skulls carved out of sugar, sweet breads, votive candles, prayer cards, ribbons, and framed photographs. Like many South American traditions, it's a beautiful cross-pollination of indigenous pagan customs and European Catholicism.
Dia de los Muertos shrine in Tijuana
One of the things I loved about living in Tucson, Arizona, was the annual All Souls Procession on Day of the Dead. About 20,000 costumed people proceed through the streets of downtown for a 2-mile funeral march that ends in a magnificent, cathartic show of setting fire to a giant urn filled with people's prayers, hopes, and wishes. Along the way we dance, drum, sing, play accordions, flutes, violins, maracas. There are jugglers, fire dancers, bellydancers, acrobats, puppets on stilts, bike floats, giant marionettes, and lots and lots of skeletons. It's one of the most moving, creative, mysterious, and colorful parades I've ever witnessed or taken part in. And it's all made possible by the public coming together to mourn and celebrate!
So, even though we couldn't be further away from Day of the Dead in the calendar year, I'm dedicating this entry to showing you lovely pictures of the All Souls Procession in Tucson.
from
2006 parade
from
the burning of the giant urn (suspended from a crane), with fire dancers, at the end of the parade
from
You can see more pictures in this flickr pool, and this amazing flickr set.
You can also read more about the history of the Tucson All Souls Procession here, and see what other projects surround the festival.
And finally here is a recipe for Pan de Muerto, or Bread of the Dead, which you leave on your altars on Dia de Los Muertos.
Dia de los Muertos shrine in Tijuana
One of the things I loved about living in Tucson, Arizona, was the annual All Souls Procession on Day of the Dead. About 20,000 costumed people proceed through the streets of downtown for a 2-mile funeral march that ends in a magnificent, cathartic show of setting fire to a giant urn filled with people's prayers, hopes, and wishes. Along the way we dance, drum, sing, play accordions, flutes, violins, maracas. There are jugglers, fire dancers, bellydancers, acrobats, puppets on stilts, bike floats, giant marionettes, and lots and lots of skeletons. It's one of the most moving, creative, mysterious, and colorful parades I've ever witnessed or taken part in. And it's all made possible by the public coming together to mourn and celebrate!
So, even though we couldn't be further away from Day of the Dead in the calendar year, I'm dedicating this entry to showing you lovely pictures of the All Souls Procession in Tucson.
from
2006 parade
from
the burning of the giant urn (suspended from a crane), with fire dancers, at the end of the parade
from
You can see more pictures in this flickr pool, and this amazing flickr set.
You can also read more about the history of the Tucson All Souls Procession here, and see what other projects surround the festival.
And finally here is a recipe for Pan de Muerto, or Bread of the Dead, which you leave on your altars on Dia de Los Muertos.