Monday, November 8, 2010

Calacas, cempazuchitls, and calaveritas de azúcar

Although I am not without my doubts about sending my children to a bilingual, bicultural school, dia de los muertos is not a day I question it.

In fact, the uniqueness of this celebration, and others on campus throughout the year, are part of the very reason why I do send my girls there.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that there is anything less fun about the typical Halloween carnivals that other elementary schools put on. But they all tend to be the same, and dia de los muertos, well, simply is not.

It's candle lit with colorful papel picado draped around the courtyard. It's marigold paths, and games of lotteria. It's skeletons and skulls, and flowers and more skulls. It's delicious food and beautiful alters, a drum parade, and kids running crazy.

It's a time to honor the dead, all the while laughing at death.

It's...


Dia de los Muertos 2010











with alters, alters everywhere




With a special one dedicated to Sr. Garcia, whom the school community dearly misses

And delicious food 



And smiling faces

4 comments:

wants to celebrate the dead in PA said...

please, please, please can we work out a cultural exchange so my kids can be at your school for next year's celebration?!?

I'm not sure what you'd like to "exchange" that experience with...maybe a PSU football tailgate and game? (it will help them adjust to college life down the road)

SO VERY COOL!

Me, You, or Ellie said...

Oh I love those colorful, um, skulls so much.

And your girls! When did they become gigantic adults?

So cool, Beth. Especially the Q-tip skeleton.

Ellie

Pat said...

And it is a great conversation stopper with my fellow grandmothers when I tell them that my granddaughters spent last Monday playing with skulls and celebrating Dead Day.
Love, Mom

Me, You, or Ellie said...

Beautiful, I love all that stuff. My kids had altars and skulls at their school too, and my Dad enjoyed a great view of all the jocularity from inside his own little shoebox sized altar.

One of my coworkers gave me a gorgeous sugar skull to bring home, which my kids are totally eyeballing. Because there's not enough candy in their lives right now.

Great one, Beth!

Jacquie