Day of the Dead (Die de los Metros) is an absolutely fascinating holiday to me.  Why? While it looks morbid with all the skeletons and spooky stuff but it’s not. It is a joyful celebration with its roots in the ancient Aztec tradition.  I was fortunate enough to enjoy 10 days in Oaxaca, Mexico while this event took over the town. 

It’s the first two days of November where death is observed as part of the natural cycle of life.  People believe that the spirits of the dead come back to visit the living on earth. There are special parades,  observations in the cemetery and parties.

In modern day celebrations, people paint their faces to look like skulls, decorating themselves to represent a deceased one. 

It doesn’t have anything to do with Halloween. For more about Day of the Dead, search  DesignDestinations.org. 

The Face Painting 

 Face painting is  a huge part of the festivities during the Day of the Dead celebrations. I found it to fun to photograph people with their faces painted and the many stands where you could see this creative work in progress. 

The Skeletons 

Unlike raw ghoulish skulls and skeletons of Halloween, they represent death in a lighthearted way, serving as a reminder that death is a natural part of life and should be acknowledged. They are meant to celebrate lives. 

The skulls and skeletons remind us about the fragility life, reminding us to live life to the fullest because of our time on Earth is limited. 

La Catrina

The La Catrina is a prime example of playful depiction of a skeleton figure added to the festivities in recent years. . 

The image of La Catrina was created in 1910 by José Guadalupe Posada, an illustrator, lithographer and caricaturist. It was created as a satire for society. 

The La Catrina was born as a put down of people who aspired to have a high social class. She was used in a variety of ways until eventually the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera,  added her in a famous mural.The use of her image changed over time.

Today a character with a wide, toothy grin and an often an oversized feathered hat has become part of Mexico’s popular culture, the icon of Day of the Dead. 

I don’t know if this character has anything to do with Day of the Dead but I think she’s  pretty cute.