Day of the Dead Preparations in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca
Life in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, centers around life cycle events. Dia de los Muertos — Day of the Dead — brings us together at the village market to prepare our altars to welcome the difuntos — the spirits of our loved ones who return to earth to visit us each year. This could be […]
Muertos at Home: Mezcal, the Breakfast Chaser — Oaxaca 2009
The elderly couple entered the altar room bearing a basket of bread (pan), chocolate, floras de muertos (an aromatic small white wild flower) and a tall beeswax candle made in the village. They lit the candle and replaced the new one in the large holder, careful not to let the flame extinguish. Incense burned and […]
Altars, Altars Everywhere: Oaxaca Muertos 2009
This is a spectacular time of year to be in Oaxaca. The streets are filled with music, parades, costumes, tourists, and cars. It can take 30 minutes to get through the historic district in a taxi. There is excitement and energy in the air with preparations for when beloved departed will return to earth to […]