Wednesday 1st November 2017...Rabbits, rabbits, rabbits and the celebrations begin!!!

You know by now how it goes..say the above first of the month and good luck all month guarenteed!!!


Halloween last night and Gracie and I went to the main Jardin where the celebrations are just beginning...

Lots of candles

 and sugar coated figures..

 Dancers...

 and then the parents bring the kids to the main Jardin where many adults including myself had a huge bags of candy to distribute....

Never heard one kid cry, get shouted at..just smiles and every single kid that got candy and there were hundreds said "Gracias" and even many said 'Thank you"...just a lovely evening......

This afternoon was poker afternoon and I so enjoy this time great guys, good laughs and I won 170 pesos!!!

Wednesday is the Day of the Dead celebrations...

History of Day of the Dead ~ Día de los Muertos Day of the Dead is an interesting holiday celebrated in central and southern Mexico during the chilly days of November 1 & 2. Even though this coincides with the Catholic holiday called All Soul's & All Saint’s Day, the indigenous people have combined this with their own ancient beliefs of honoring their deceased loved ones. They believe that the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31, and the spirits of all deceased children (angelitos) are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours. On November 2, the spirits of the adults come down to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them. In most Indian villages, beautiful altars (ofrendas) are made in each home. They are decorated with candles, buckets of flowers (wild marigolds called cempasuchil & bright red cock's combs) mounds of fruit, peanuts, plates of turkey mole, stacks of tortillas and big Day-of-the-Dead breads called pan demuerto. The altar needs to have lots of food, bottles of soda, hot cocoa and water for the weary spirits. Toys and candies are left for the angelitos, and on Nov. 2, cigarettes and shots of mezcal are offered to the adult spirits. Little folk art skeletons and sugar skulls, purchased at open-air markets, provide the final touches. Day of the Dead is a very expensive holiday for these self-sufficient, rural based, indigenous families. Many spend over two month's income to honor their dead relatives. They believe that happy spirits will provide protection, good luck and wisdom to their families. Ofrendabuilding keeps the family close. On the afternoon of Nov. 2, the festivities are taken to the cemetery. People clean tombs, play cards, listen to the village band and reminisce about their loved ones. Tradition keeps the village close. Day of the Dead is becoming very popular in the U.S. ~ perhaps because we don't have a way to celebrate and honor our dead, or maybe it's because of our fascination with it's mysticism. The Catholic World Day of the Dead is celebrated throughout Mexico and the Catholic world... Italy, Spain, South America and the Philippines all celebrate All Souls and All Saints Day on November 1st and 2nd. Special Masses and perhaps cleaning of the cemetery tombs are part of the traditional activities... it's only in Central and Southern Mexico where the colorful parties take place in the cemeteries and elaborate ofrenda altars are built in the homes to honor specific family members who have passed on. This sweet angel grave marker is nestled amongst thousands of candles which illuminate the cemetery in Xoxocotlan, Oaxaca. Here, family members sit vigil in the cemetery throughout the night of October 31, so as to welcome the "angelitos" or dead children's spirits the moment they are released from heaven to come home to visit their parents. This home baker in northern Veracruz is an expert in his village for preserving the ancient culinary tradition of the zacahuíl, or gigantic banana leaf-wrapped tamal. This tamale will serve over 100 people on Day of the Dead. It's a pistol to construct and wrap so it doesn't fall apart; then baked in a homemade adobe outdoor oven. It's then sealed with mud until morning. The sugar skull fair - Feria de Alfinique - is a child's paradise. This little one is so excited to make her sugar skull purchase. The Catholic World In Mexico, the colorful, much anticipated, Day of the Dead celebrations are generally celebrated in the states from Mexico City south. This includes Michoacan, Mexico, Puebla, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Guerrero, Guanajuato, Chiapas and the Yucatan. Northern Mexico, with its less indigenous and more European roots, spend the day scrubbing graves and going to Mass... not having music, drinks and parties in the cemeteries. Folks in parts of Italy, Spain, Central & South America and the Philippines all celebrate All Souls and All Saints Day on November 1st and 2nd. Special Masses and perhaps cleaning of the cemetery tombs are part of the traditional activities... These molded sugar coffins are actually toys to delight the returning spirits of children on November 1. Pull the string and a smiling calavera skeleton pops out of his coffin!

The Sugar Skull Tradition

Sugar art was brought to the New World by Italian missionaries in the 17th century. The first Church mention of sugar art was from Palermo at Easter time when little sugar lambs and angels were made to adorn the side altars in the Catholic Church.

Mexico, abundant in sugar production and too poor to buy fancy imported European church decorations, learned quickly from the friars how to make sugar art for their religious festivals. Clay molded sugar figures of angels, sheep and sugar skulls go back to the Colonial Period 18th century. Sugar skulls represented a departed soul, had the name written on the forehead and was placed on the home ofrenda or gravestone to honor the return of a particular spirit. Sugar skull art reflects the folk art style of big happy smiles, colorful icing and sparkly tin and glittery adornments. Sugar skulls are labor intensive and made in very small batches in the homes of sugar skull makers. These wonderful artisans are disappearing as fabricated and imported candy skulls take their place.

There is nothing as beautiful as a big, fancy, unusual sugar skull!

Although it is a holiday from far away in southern Mexico, it's a holiday one can personalize and integrate into their own religious and cultural beliefs. It is more of a cultural holiday than a religious one. It is a wonderful way to celebrate the memories of our loved ones who are now gone... through art, cooking, music, building ofrendas, doing activities with our children, we can recount family stories, fun times and lessons learned... not how the person died, but how they lived

So before these celebrations Gracie and I went to dinner with Mandy and Josh.....many of you know of my lovely friend Rita who lived here and I used to go visit her twice a week as she suffered from COPD and could not leave the house, sadly she passed away but her son Josh and I have kept in touch and he was in town for a quick visit so it was really nice to see him again....

We walked to the Jardin where there was a beautiful dance concert performed in front of thousands of people..the whole area was alive with music and costumes but my night shots are not great....


Gracie and her new friends..!!!!

All around the Jardin they make these incredible alters with flower petals....

It sure was a great festive evening......

I am getting tired just thinking of the day I have in store for me tomorrow ...stay tuned!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!!