actually two days, and morever, is celebrated for about a week in Oaxaca)-- simply because there are so, so, so very many and because many of them happen at the same time in the evening and sadly, I cannot be in two places at one time. But what we did manage to experience was -- well, kind of not even able to describe or use enough superlatives! Awe-inspiring. Awesome. Amazing. Creative. Deeply touching. Life-altering. Death-altering. Whatever words you can come up with, they probably fits.
Here are some pictures and a few words to illustrate:
What was (is) Día de Muertos in Oaxaca, for me, to me?
Día de Muertos is a celebration of life.
There are some somber facets of the holiday but mostly, Oaxaqueños are celebrating life, in all its brief glory. It's a celebration of the love we have for each other, for our family, our friends, our loves.
Día de Muertos is walking hand in hand with death.
Knowing and directly facing that death happens to us all, not shying away from that reality but remembering it. Welcoming death and the dead. It is walking that dark path, not quite knowing where it goes but knowing you aren't alone, love goes with you Death and life together, linked forever.
Día de Muertos is creativity and color.
Oaxaca is of course renowned for both these things, and both come out in full force for muertos.
Día de Muertos is irreverant.
There's a kind of silliness, a kind of winking acknowledgement that it's okay to laugh in the face of death.
Finally,
Día de Muertos is light in the darkness.
The darkness comes a little sooner these days. And the days are darker metaphorically as well. But there is light in the darkness. There is no light without dark and no dark without light.
