Preparations were well underway Friday for the display of altars (ofrendas) in the Jardin. You know it is time because of the piles of marigolds, the most traditional flower of the season, and the vibrant red coxcombs.
This year hundreds of high school students are involved in designing and assembling individual altars and it reminds me of decorating for prom; lots of energy.
We watched a group carving fruit and veggies for display and were told that some were from the culinary school. The carvings were intricate and fanciful.
Many families, including us, build personal altars in their homes or businesses to remember their dead. The traditional legend states that people die three deaths. The first death is when our bodies cease to function; when our hearts no longer beat of their own accord, when our gaze no longer has depth or weight, when the space we occupy slowly loses its meaning. The second death comes when the body is lowered into the ground, returned to mother earth, out of sight. And the third death, the most definitive death, is when there is no one left alive to remember us.
We are looking forward to observing the celebrations tonight in the Jardin. Saturday night is when families congregate at the cemeteries to clean the tombs and decorate with flowers and candles and gifts of food and sugar figurines. There are special markets around town where you can purchase the sugar sculptures.
2 comments:
Wow, so colorful!
I hope you are having a great November. It has turned wet here. I am trying to feed Scruffy twice a day, so she can have enough calories to keep warm and grow her nice fur coat. I only have four more shifts in Madras. I am so excited to get to be home more.
Love Julie
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