Dia de los Muertos 2006

Here we are, November 1st, the beginning of Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. I miss living in Mexico and witnessing the activities first hand. Next year I'll take the day off and go down into Baja. Until then, I will celebrate via the web, at places like the Day of the Dead Folk Art Gallery. I would have loved to have purchased the featured piece!

A simple pattern for the above calaveras papel picado and more activities for kids and the family can be found here. The site is perfect for teachers, too.

You'll find a recipe for 'COLORFUL SUGAR CANDY SKULLS' at mexgrocer.com, where you can buy traditional Mexican foods online- if the item isn't sold out (Skulls are. The Pan de Muertos isn't.) Scroll down the page for the recipe.

Author Mary J. Andrade's beautiful Day of the Dead website (in English and Spanish) explores the history and traditions of the ritual and features recipes, poems, photography and books about the Day of the Dead. The books are available for sale at the website or you can buy them from your local independent bookstore or bookseller.

At Flickr you'll find the wonderful Dia.de.los.Muertos group photo pool loaded with over 170 colorful photos relating to all aspects of the celebration. Believe me, you don't want to miss this ambitious work!

Finally, another really good website that has lots of links and photos about DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS is Mexconnect,com. I think I mentioned it last year, too.

So set up your ofrendas (memorial altar) on a table covered with a nice tablecloth, papel picado and a photo of your loved ones. Add your offerings of sugar skulls, bread, candles, cempasuchil flowers (orange or yellow marigolds- real or paper), paper mache skeletons. plates with the honored deads' favorite foods or some toys for the lost wee ones. Bake some delicious Pan de Muertos, make a few sugar skulls and partake in the joy! I'm heading off to the kitchen now...