Yeah, I know----more skulls and skeletal figures. However, since today is still part of Dia de los Muertos, I thought it would be fitting to mention in in our blog. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a time in Mexico when the Monarch butterflies migrate from the U.S.. It is believed that the butterflies bear the spirits of the departed. And this time is more of a remembrance and rejoicing time, rather than a time for mourning. A procession travels through the village, and on November 1st, the families construct an altar with photos of those who have departed along with food, candles, fruit, and candy. On the following day, the family goes to the cemetery to clean up their loved one's gravesite. The area is raked, scrubbed, and arranged with food and candles. Music (from the radio or live mariachi music) is also played at this time. The family spends the night at the gravesite.To me, it sounds like it gives the people a way to reconnect with people they miss through reminiscing about the past, and one of these days, I would hope to visit Mexico during this time frame. It's an event that has many influences from the Aztecs, especially in the belief that the spirits of the departed would come back in the form of hummingbirds and butterflies.
