Dia de Muerto

On the day Mexicans believe spirits return to earth things got perfectly spooky.

Quick lesson:  the celebration is on November 1 and 2.  On the first, it is the spirits of deceased children who visit, and on the second the adults.  Shrines are erected in cemeteries and other public places in order to lure the spirits back to their loved ones.  Shrines are full of candies (calaveras de azucar - sugar skulls), pan de muerto (delicious bread of the dead) and other things to entice the spirits of the children and, as you would expect, alcohol, personal effects, and other grown up delights (saw some condoms?) to entice the adults.

This is really best described in picture, so I'll let them do the talking.  To set the mood, I think Jason described it perfectly:  remember the opening scene of The Lost Boys?  Early fall, smoky dusk, carnival atmosphere, and just an overall creepy vibe.  That was the Zocalo.  Church bells rang, a crazy concert burst out of loud speakers, people in costume, top-notch alebrijes on display, smoke everywhere from shamans "cleansing" people and incense for the shrines, and even a motorcycle gang dressed like zombies circling the square.  Creepy.  Awesome.

Zocalo, Alebrijes, Crowds, Church

Typical shrine - marigolds are often featured

The crowd at around the Zocalo

Rocks and Marigolds

Skull art

Sugar skull (taken days earlier)

Another shrine

Stilt walkers

Pan de mmmmuerto

There isn't an abundance of pictures, because I was reminded by a stranger to "hold tight to my children." So I did.