I went to the Dia de los Muertos parade in San Francisco with a friend. I’ve been to this parade before and have always enjoyed the costumes. This time the costumes were even more amazing than usual, possibly because there was an exhibited of Day of the Dead costumes at the de Young Museum that opened in late October. I took some photos with my iPhone 6S plus and wanted to share them.
I was also impressed by how many people were at the parade. There were a lot more people than in previous years and it was packed on both sides of the street. One of my favorite things about this parade is that it’s so friendly and family-friendly, unlike Halloween parades which are usually full of drunk adults who just want candy or booze.
If you’re here in Mexico City for the Day of the Dead festivities, you’ll see some amazing costumes.
These are some of the most elaborate and beautiful that I’ve come across. All but one were photographed at a recent contest to select the best Day of the Dead costume on display in the city’s Coyoacán neighborhood. The other was photographed at a Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City’s Bellas Artes neighborhood.
A caveat: I’m no expert on Day of the Dead costumes, so if any of these are historically inaccurate, I apologize.
It’s that time of year again! Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, is a colorful Mexican holiday that celebrates the lives of loved ones who have passed away. In addition to being one of the most beautiful and touching celebrations of family I’ve ever seen, it’s also a time when people can get really creative with their costumes. When you’re dressing up as a skeleton, you can go all out. Here are some of my favorite looks from this year:
I have to confess that I’m not a huge fan of Halloween. I’ll dress up if I have to, and I don’t mind seeing other people in costume (after all, most of them are dressed as princesses and Power Rangers), but I don’t really get into it myself. But then again, maybe that’s because Halloween is just too tame for my taste.
If you want to see some truly amazing costumes, you need to check out the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. The Day of the Dead is a holiday with Native American roots that has been adapted by Spanish colonists and transformed into a uniquely Mexican tradition. It combines Catholic iconography with pre-Columbian beliefs about death.
Every year on the 1st and 2nd of November, Mexicans celebrate their dead by decorating their graves, holding family reunions, and sharing stories about their departed loved ones over food and drink. And oh yeah—they also wear some pretty spectacular costumes. Check out these photos by Tomas Castelazo (via Neatorama) to get a sense of what these celebrations look like:
This is a guest post from the Boston Day of the Dead group.
A few years ago, I took the day off to celebrate Dia de los Muertos in my home town of Oaxaca (in southern Mexico). I was very excited to experience this unique holiday firsthand, but we didn’t have much money and so I had to make my own costume.
I wanted to channel La Catrina, a famous skeleton character who is often depicted in large hats and fancy dresses. So I bought some sturdy cardboard, a couple of plastic tablecloths and some spray paint, and got to work. After several hours of cutting and gluing, a bit of trial and error, and some last-minute improvisation, I had a costume that fit the bill!
Day of the Dead is not an easy time for family members to remember their loved ones. But it is also a time for community togetherness—for sharing memories, food, music and stories. Every year in Mexico City’s Zócalo Square there are hundreds of people dressed up as skeletons (with costumes just like mine) dancing together all night!
This year’s Day of the Dead celebration at Hollywood Forever Cemetery was undoubtedly one of the biggest, with thousands in attendance to pay tribute to loved ones who have passed away. The Day of the Dead is a holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures.
It is said that on October 31, the children make a children’s altar to invite the angelitos (spirits of dead children) to come back for a visit. November 1 is called Día de los Inocentes (Day of the Innocents) but also Día de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels). November 2 is called Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead).
The three-day fiesta is filled with marigolds, the flowers of the dead; muertos (the bread of the dead); sugar skulls; cardboard skeletons; tissue paper decorations; fruit and nuts; incense, and other traditional foods and decorations.
Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died.
The celebrations are held from October 31st through November 2nd. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts.
It’s a joyous celebration that is rich in symbolism. From sugar skulls to skeletons dressed up in their Sunday best, there is beauty to be found in every corner of this holiday.