In the midst of life .....

[tod2]

Hooo boy! What can I say except this thread is exceptional! Bixa you are the bomb!Or should that read BOMBE?
My grandson's are out tonight at a Halloween party.
When taking the maids to town this afternoon I tried to explain Halloween to them.
Please can you put the ritual of 'The Day of The Dead' into three sentences for me?
Maybe I've got it all wrong.

[bixaorellana]

I'll give it a try, Tod!

This is the time of year in Mexico when people believe the dead come back to visit their loved ones. The dead are welcomed with altars covered with flowers, fruits, food, and even things such as cigarettes and liquor that the dead enjoyed while on earth. This holiday coincides with the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls, so the two traditions have become intertwined.

How's that?

[fumobici]

That's beautifully put, bixa.

[Deleted]

Good to know about the travel alternative.
I had a virtual "meltdown" in the Mexico City airport and because I didn't speak Spanish and I missed my flight to Dallas.
My flight out of Oaxaca was the last on that day because there was a hurricane en route which we were unaware of because of our not being in touch with the media at that time.
My family and my husband were aware and were freaking out. I was stuck in Mexico City for awhile, then a delay in Dallas made for another travel nightmare.

Anyway, I am loving this report and even before having been there for this festival had been aware of it and traditionally erect an altar at my home in the same vein although, I wish I had access to the amount of flowers that there are there.
I have never seen such a profusion of flowers like that anywhere ever before or since. It blew me away.
Aside from the marigolds, there was also a profusion of tuberoses, easily one of my all time favorite flowers.

I was wondering, are there any traditional meals served during this time? I can't recall.

[Deleted]

Good to know about the travel alternative.
I had a virtual "meltdown" in the Mexico City airport and because I didn't speak Spanish and I missed my flight to Dallas.
My flight out of Oaxaca was the last on that day because there was a hurricane en route which we were unaware of because of our not being in touch with the media at that time.
My family and my husband were aware and were freaking out. I was stuck in Mexico City for awhile, then a delay in Dallas made for another travel nightmare.

Anyway, I am loving this report and even before having been there for this festival had been aware of it and traditionally erect an altar at my home in the same vein although, I wish I had access to the amount of flowers that there are there.
I have never seen such a profusion of flowers like that anywhere ever before or since. It blew me away.
Aside from the marigolds, there was also a profusion of tuberoses, easily one of my all time favorite flowers.

I was wondering, are there any traditional meals served during this time? I can't recall.

[mich64]

I have seen the reports on the missing students in Mexico, incredibly sad and frightening.

Perhaps your photo essays are one of the reasons why there are so many more tourists there this year Bixa! Anyone who has seen them would be greatly influenced to visit your Oaxaca.

The tin pieces are fantastic!

[lagatta]

I've found direct flights from here to DF - of course I have to get to Oaxaca afterwards, one way or another.

Chrysanthemums seem to occupy the same memorial function in many French-speaking countries as Marigolds do in Mexico. Casimira will know which one (or some similar flower) deters garden pests.

I do speak Spanish - not as well as I do French, English or Italian, but I read books and newspapers in Spanish, and have been conversing with an Argentinean friend here whose brother has just died (he was ill, but I don't think anyone expected him to die so soon, with the sadness of all expats not to be able to be there for important family events. Of course it is springtime there, but that is when their Days of the dead occur.

Tod, I'm sure that native South Africans must live with a similar syncretism between traditional African beliefs and those brought by Christianity (and elsewhere, by Islam).

[Deleted]

Yes, there are some species of chrysantemums that contain Pyrethrum, a well known organic insect repellant.

[bixaorellana]

Thank you, Fumobici!

And thank you, Casimira. You are getting ready to see tons of flowers in my next posts. As for the foods -- yes -- this is known as a time for special eating, with mole playing a star role, along with tamales and fruits in compote, plus all the challah-type bread.

Thanks so much, Mich! I briefly allowed myself to bask in your flattering suggestion before coming to my senses. But really, all our threads go out into the world, so it's not impossible that each of us have influenced people in their travel plans.

LaGatta, I can't imagine that you'd have any trouble with the Spanish here, in particular because it's a very "clean" version -- no dropped letters or "rounded off" combinations (as in cuidao/cuidado).

[bixaorellana]

Today was very long and full. It's quite late now, but I'd like to post at least our morning excursion in an attempt to keep this thread semi up to date.

I met my friend and her friend visiting from Texas at the post office, then we set off for the Abastos market. I'll just put up the pictures with no commentary, hoping that you'll get the feeling of pressing through the extremely crowded market today. Please feel free to ask questions.

This guy deserves a mention, though, as he showed up just as we were leaving the post office -- a nice start to a day of "deadly" activities ~~

And now into the Abastos. The pictures following are in the order in which they were taken ~

[bixaorellana]

[bixaorellana]

[bixaorellana]

[bjd]

Sorry to be such a party pooper, but I really prefer your market pictures to those of the kids and others all disguised.

What are the leaves the old lady with the braids is selling?

And what are the 3-legged green pottery dishes in the 3rd picture from the bottom for?

[htmb]

The children and the adults, combined with all the interesting colors, make for a complete package for me.

The sheer number of flowers are amazing.

I, too, was intrigued by the tin, which I don't remember seeing before in your Oaxaca photos, Bixa.

Are those sweet potatoes in the second to last photo?

In the photo before the Volkswagen, what is the man holding? Are those branches of crab apples?

[Deleted]

I simply LOVE the pics of the doggie skeleton!!!!!!

[bixaorellana]

BJD WROTE: Sorry to be such a party pooper, but I really prefer your market pictures to those of the kids and others all disguised.
There are sections coming up that you may have to skip!
What are the leaves the old lady with the braids is selling?
She is holding parsley and epazote.
And what are the 3-legged green pottery dishes in the 3rd picture from the bottom for?
Those are incense burners, in a design unchanged for untold centuries. Further up the page you can see some painted ones. Also, the smoky pictures are of booths selling copal, a type of incense. You can see miniature incense burners in one of those pictures. They also feature little triangular cork floats for suspending a wick in a glass of oil.

HTMB WROTE: The children and the adults, combined with all the interesting colors, make for a complete package for me.
Thank you, Htmb!
The sheer number of flowers are amazing.
My picture-taking friend & I were thrilled, as we'd been disappointed by the relatively skimpy display last year. Alas, the sheer number of everything -- mounds of items and crowds of people -- was too much for the visitor, so we didn't do a full market exploration.
I, too, was intrigued by the tin, which I don't remember seeing before in your Oaxaca photos, Bixa.
Hmmm, I have been remiss! Surely there is some mixed in with other things in photos in other threads, but soon I will go and get a bunch of tin photos to show here. Nothing could be easier. Incidentally, some friends just celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary, which is that of tin (or aluminum). My gift was a mirror framed in Oaxacan tin work, with a motif of two birds billing at the top. (Don't know if they were cooing, or not.)
Are those sweet potatoes in the second to last photo?
I was wondering if anyone would venture a guess on those. They are tamarind pods.
In the photo before the Volkswagen, what is the man holding? Are those branches of crab apples?
They are not, although they closely resemble crab apples. They are tejocotes, a fruit of a type of hawthorn, & are used to adorn day of the dead altars. They're also made into compote and a type of hot punch.

CASIMIRA WROTE: I simply LOVE the pics of the doggie skeleton!!!!!!
We definitely felt it was the perfect start to our day!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~

The market was our first stop on the 31st, but I have tons more pictures to process and post, plus will be going out today to different spots. Please check back!

[htmb]

I noted the comment in the edit line. I would assume the death of V5 would mean the birth of V6.

[bixaorellana]

It could only get better. ................. couldn't it?

Okay, time for another inundation of pictures. Yesterday we went to the Xoxo cemeteries to see them being dressed for the night and day ahead. I covered these cemeteries a couple of years ago, but it was wonderfully gratifying to go with my friend, who repeatedly verbalized how utterly charmed she was by the rustic pleasures of Xoxo.

This group is of the old cemetery, which is no longer used for burials. I'll have to get to the rest of Xoxo later, as I need to go out again.

[bixaorellana]

The dad -- seen leaning over -- in this pleasant family was there to decorate the graves of a twin brother, his parents and grandparents. Everyone we met was so friendly and welcoming.

[bixaorellana]

[Deleted]

Going back to #40, I absolutely love the photos of the chickens, especially how their feet still stick out defiantly, ready to claw anything. I also think that the wrinkled woman is fantastic, the one who is looking disapprovingly at the tomatoes. The old woman in #42 composing a bouquet of marigolds is also magnificent. The picture right after that is also a wonderful composition of market life. And what are those seed pods immediately afterwards?

Quite a few of the tombs in #48 appear to be quite small. Did they just make tombstones smaller than what they were covering or might this be a collection of children's tombs?

I like the kid in the red hood just discovering a new playground and not having the slightest idea about the significance of anything there. And the photo looking up at the canopy of trees is most certainly one of the best pictures that you have ever taken. The mosaic cross right after that one is touchingly humble.

Finally, I was wondering if marigolds are popular at other times of the year, or are the reserved just for this? I know that in France chrysanthemums are totally reserved for use in cemeteries, or in public gardens as the months get cold. If you gave anybody a bouquet of chrysanthemums here, they would be completely mortified (a particularly appropriate word for the situation).

[tod2]

Bixa - Perfect! I had that notion in my head but does this mean it ties in with halloween?
Why do children ( and some adults) dress up and go 'Trick or Treat'. I know the 'treat' is when they give you candy or cookies and if they don't where does the 'trick' part come in?

More great photos! I went back to look at no.40 with the chickens after Kerouac mentioned it.
It is a fab photo - to me it looks like they died trying to push away their assailant! Or is that just rigormortis to accentuate the spookyness of it all

The doggie is WONDERFUL because he /she has no idea why they did this to me!!!

Lagatta - Absolutely. The Christian churches thrive here but the congregation still keeps one foot in the spiritual world by consulting witch doctors and sacrificing a goat when a relative dies so that they can cut some of the skin and wear it like a bracelet. This allows them to speak and hear their dearly departed at any time.

[mossie]

I agree with Kerouac about the chickens feet, they give a surreal feel to the place.

And the dog did not appreciate being turned into a skeleton.

[htmb]

Just fantastic, Bixa. I'm looking forward to seeing more!

[bixaorellana]

More? It's 11:22 pm here right now (Nov. 1) and there is a comparsa right outside my gate furiously dancing to a live marching band. The street reeks of beer. I packed it in earlier this evening & am quietly processing a few zillion photos. Thank you, Htmb -- you will have more!

I think you're right about the pooch, Mossie. He had rather a long-suffering air.

re: chicken feet ~~ am I the only one who was reminded of the Rockettes, or maybe a cancan line?

Tod, thank you. And that is a fascinating peek at African customs and beliefs.
Yes, it does tie in with Halloween. Halloween (Oct. 31) = Hallow[ed] e[v]en[ing] or All Hallows Eve, aka All Saints Day (Nov. 1).

In the US, kids ask for treats on Halloween & if they don't get them, play tricks -- soap on windows, toilet paper in the trees, etc.

Hugely appreciate the kind compliments, Kerouac. That wrinkled woman was so deeply into her own thoughts that I practically got right on top of her to get the picture -- no sneaky zoom needed. The pods are tamarind seed pods.

Re: the small tombs -- they are children's graves. If you visited that cemetery today, you would find a piece of candy on each and every one of those little tombs. I was with a friend today in the municipal cemetery. As we went through a section dating back to the 1960s, it occurred to us that up until quite recently, Mexico was a country where people frequently died in infancy or childhood.

Re: the little boy in the red hood being unaware of the significance of his surroundings -- I heard one of those kids comment, "There are sure a lot of dead people here!"

Yes, the marigolds are completely associated with this festival and not used as an ornamental garden plant.

[tod2]

Looking at that dawg again - you can see he is well cared for. If he were here you would not have to paint ribs and other bones on him ...they would be clearly evident with starvation

[bixaorellana]

Oh, we have our complement of street dogs here, too, Tod.
The "long-suffering" was a reference to how our well-loved canine companions will put up with any amount of human foolishness for our sakes.

Well, moving right along ........ in thread time it is still the afternoon of October 31st. We leave the cemetery and find that all along its outer wall the sand paintings are being set up. By nightfall, this passageway will be a mob scene, but right now we have a great opportunity to see the tapetes in progress.

[bixaorellana]

Xoxo can usually be counted on for some good wall art, so we stroll out to find some ~









Retracing our steps, we find the sand painters still hard at work ~









Returning to the town square to get a moto-taxi to the "new" cemetery, I note that yet again this year, the sky shows evidence of the dearly departed returning for their earthly visit ~

[tod2]

My word Bixa, what an art form! Looking at the gadgets the artists have with them I can see there must be some tricks of the trade. The person creating that fantastic Virgin Mary in the black & gold cloak, changed the initial design and in the end got a fantastic display.
That face of Christ is absolutely tremendous.
This is great!