Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead in San Miguel de Allende It has been a week of remembrance here in San Miguel de Allende. The people of San Miguel, as well as all of Mexico, have been preparing offerings for their departed family members, relatives, friends, as well as public figures, loved celebrities and artists. They celebrated the Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos, as it is called in Mexico. They place offerings, usually in the form of foods on altars. In San Miguel de Allende, these alters can be found in homes, public areas and buildings, like the public library (Biblioteca Publica), ... Read Full Story

Celebrating the Mexican Holiday – Dia de los Muertos By Genice Phillips Building private altars, bearing gifts of favorite foods and drinks or marigold flowers, are just a few ways that others communicate and connect with those who have passed on. Ofrendas, or offerings, are placed on the graves of the departed, as well as outside the home. At times, the event can take on a celebratory or humorous tone, as various accounts or stories are told about the deceased. This event is traced back to the Aztecs, who ritualized and celebrated the dead, often using symbols of skeletons, skulls, and the crucifix. These ... Read Full Story

Known as Dia de los Muertos in Mexico and the Mexican-populated areas of the US, this holiday dates back to the times of the Aztecs, when they celebrated Mictecacihuatl (The Lady of the Dead). The celebration of Day of the Dea d focuses on remembering and honoring friends and relatives that have died. Dia de los Muertos is celebrated every year on November 1st and 2nd, during which time it is believed the spirits of the dead return to visit the living. People buy toys and traditional sweets for the dead children and different alcoholic drinks for the deceased adults. They build shrines on ... Read Full Story

When Nicte Ordoñez, an Oakland resident and artist, finished putting the final touches on an altar for the Dia de los Muertos festival Sunday in the Fruitvale District, she had captured her personal vision of a tumultuous year. Ordoñez incorporated traditional Central American themes in her altar as well as current issues on immigration, the economy and even the death of Michael Jackson. One of those issues could have been the ongoing recession that nearly kept the popular Day of the Dead festival from happening this year. The Unity Council announced in March that the nonprofit was unable to fund their Dia de los ... Read Full Story

Looking for a less wasteful way to celebrate Halloween? Go green on Halloween with Go Green Travel Green’s Top 7 Green Halloween Tips . Didn’t get your fill of horror films from our post on classic horror flicks ? Check out World Hum’s list of 13 Great Travel Horror Movies . Looking for a Halloween alternative? Check out Dia de los Muertos: 5 Places to Celebrate for a roundup of some of the best places to catch a celebration, both traditional and modern. Remember back in the day when you were a kid and tree houses were all the rage? Well Horace Burgess of ... Read Full Story