2003-11-04 - 6:54 p.m.
November 1 and 2 are Mexican version of Halloween ... Dia de Los Muertos.
The dead come back to earth for one night and their loved ones throw a sort of party/all night vigil at their gravesides. Complete with flowers, candles, favorite foods & drinks, candy, etc. We went to an island nearby that is one of the big places for the celebration. These people canoe in to the island and then march up to this tiny ancient graveyard and stay there all night. It was raining so they were sleeping under bright blue tarps but they were there nonetheless.
Weird but it is a big party for alot of people who don't actually celebrate the festival. Kinda like Mardi Gras without the beads or tits. Adults and teenagers, mostly teenagers, come from all over the place to get drunk, stay up all night, and watch the mourners stand watch over the graves.
It was beautiful to see regardless. Imagine the most ancient, crumbling, ramshackle cemetary ever, on the side of a hill that looks out over a huge lake. And it is filled with gold flowers and candles the size of a 5 year old kid.
We were totally invading these people's connection with their loved ones. But they didn't seem to mind. Maybe they've gotten used to it over the years or maybe we were part of the party. The dead want to be celebrated and remembered.
They say that if you can't afford anything else, you should at least have a candle and a glass of water so they'll know you were thinking of them and they won't leave crying.
