Dia de los Muertos
Today is Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico. The holiday is traditionally celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, though it can extend to other days depending on the location.
The purpose of the holiday is to remember and pay respects to family members and friends who have died. Holiday traditions include using calaveras (skulls or skeletons).
When we think of death and skeletons, we tend to think of scary things, like the sculpture above of Collin Maillard by sculptor Daniel Hourde that was exhibited in Paris in 2016. Collin Maillard was a 10th century warrior who had his eyes gouged out during battle, but he continued to fight.
But in Mexico, Dia de los Muertos is not a scary occasion. Its spirit is closer to this picture of Naked Jeff at the Burning Man festival, 2014. People put flowers on the graves of relatives. The message is that death is part of life, and the dead are not forgotten.
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