Today is the last day of the holiday known as Día de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead.
It comes across the border to us from Mexico where ofrendas or altars are erected, often around the graves of the departed, to welcome back their souls.
I had forgotten it until my longtime friend Diane mentioned it in an email to SWMBO.
Once years ago she had visited us where we were living in Mexico at the time of the holiday and we had taken her to the graveyard in the town of Ajijic to see the decorations.
Graves are decorated with great numbers of flowers, both real and paper, and favorite foods and drinks of the departed ones are brought to welcome him or her.
Music is played and picnics are held at the sites.
It is not so much solemn as joyous as memories are renewed and celebrated.
Here in Arizona, which has a large Mexican population, the event is celebrated in much the same way.
Once after our ex-pat years in Mexico I spotted this piece in an art gallery in Jerome and purchased it.
But someone who lives here says it gives her the creeps so it remains unhung.
UPDATE: I just discovered that Sharon has a wonderful post about the event in Phoenix on her blog today. Check it out by clicking on Phoenix Daily Photo.
