11/3/10

Feliz Dia de los Muertos

La Calavera Catrina- the elegand skull, the stylish dead.
 

This is how José Guadalupe Posada poked fun at the hipster ladies of the age. Soon, those show-off fashion-plates will be as dead as the rest of us, he seemed to say.



[Posada_03455u.jpg]
"Calavera Oaxaqueña" by Jose Guadalupe Posada (1910)
I've come to realize that Mexicans have no idea how cool and quirky Americans think Day of the Dead is. "Death can be funny. Death can be a party!" A woman said to me yesterday, explaining the holiday. "It hurts us when our loved ones go, but we know they're still around, so we can tease them a bit. We know we'll end up the same soon enough." Talk about memento mori.
 Jose Guadalupe Posada.


I met some really cool people yesterday volunteering for get-out-the-vote yesterday. But I got sick. I was freezing and underbundled, so when I got inside I warmed up with half a cup of coffee and then I couldn't get to sleep til 6:30 this morning. Never again! Caffeine after 7 pm will not tempt me again!

5 comments:

Spirited Earth said...

Sorry you got undone by the cold and caffeine
In the long ago,i spent Dia de los Muertos in Oaxaca Mx.
it was an amazing experience..
the alters loaded with assorted fav's of the dearly departed were curious and touching, orange marigolds and red celosia petals dotted the streets like confetti, dead bread and festive sugar skulls everywhere.

stregata said...

Sorry your exertions have lead to your feeling low and hope you will feel better soon.
In the mostly Catholic area I live in, November is a solemn month, where the graves are tended and blessed. All very solemn, very grave - not a bit of joy. You'd almost think they don't believe in the heaven they are all trying to get to.

~Debi said...

Awww, sorry you got sick. I hope you feel better really soon! :)

fanciful devices said...

Thanks guys, im feeling better already.
Spirited- you're in oxaca!!!? omg! did you post about it? i wanna see pictures!

fanciful devices said...

Thanks guys, im feeling better already.
Spirited- you're in oxaca!!!? omg! did you post about it? i wanna see pictures!