Día de los Muertos: What I’ve learned about Day of the Dead (so far)

October 28th, 2008 | By Joshua | 1 Comment »

This afternoon, a colleague of mine described Día de los Muertos as “the only time during the year when the veil that separates our world from the next is lifted.”

We were sitting in a classroom, surrounded by maps of Spanish-speaking regions, paintings, books, masks, and icons. Don Claudio was rushing home to prepare the dough for tomorrow’s pan de muerto. But first, he explained to me how Mexican families visit with the souls of their parents, friends, and children who have passed on. They cook meals for them, like mole, but make it extra strong; during the night, while the families sit by candlelight in the graveyards, the deceased imbibe the essence of the food left on the altars, which the family then eats the next day (though by then it is insipid).

I also heard from Rough Guide and Footprint author Richard Arghiris, who is traveling across Mexico to research his next book. When I told don Ricardo that I was looking for details to share with my students, he reported, “I had a wander around the zócalo today and they’ve set up the most amazing altars. The place is completely overrun with skeletons. (more…)

Teach me something about Día de los Muertos, por favor!

October 26th, 2008 | By Joshua | 2 Comments »

Nicaraguans did not much celebrate Día de los Muertos where I lived, and since I have not spent much time in Mexico, where the tradition originates and is most practiced, I’m pretty ignorant about the upcoming festivities. I would therefore like to request links and suggestions on how to teach Día de los Muertos to my Spanish students, ages 7-13. I believe our high school Spanish teacher will have an altar for childrens’ souls that we can visit. Other than that, the only thing I’ve found so far is  one (admittedly very rad, but not helpful to my situation) video. Por favor, send me to your songs, sites, and skeletons in the comments below. Gracias.

Blog across Mexico by travel writer Richard Arghiris

October 16th, 2008 | By Joshua | No Comments »

Richard Arghiris has departed on a marathon coast-to-coast writing assignment across Mexico. He is updating the Footprint guide to that massive and varied country. I do not envy him the task (he has only 10 weeks or so to cover an area the size of … um, Mexico), but I will gladly keep an eye on his blog from the comforts of my armchair. Should be a fun ride—and a peek into the life of a guidebook writer on the road. First stop, Mexico City:

“Cities are notoriously complex animals and few are as big and scary as Mexico’s capital. It will be a real challenge getting to grips with it – and its wealth of surrounding attractions. I have my eye on an apartment close to the Revolution monument where I hope to base myself. Gym, sauna and WiFi included in the rent. One highlight of my stay will be the Day of the Dead celebrations.” [LINK]->