Yesterday was mostly consumed by getting to the airport to meet my friends and get the van to drive to Ixtapan de la Sal. Ixtapan de la Sal is located southwest of Mexico City in the mountains. It’s about fifty miles as the crow flies, but seventy-five miles to drive there. You wouldn’t think that it would take very long, but traffic is fierce and on a good trip it takes at least two hours. Yesterday it was about two and a half hours.
The first hour or so is inching through the city. After that the road climbs into the mountains. Both sides of the road, for miles and miles, are corn fields. Then you emerge into an area of rose growing, miles of covered rose beds. I was happy to finally arrive at the spa.
So, since I have few photos worth showing, here are some of my favorites from the Museo de Arte Popular showing Day of the Dead figures. The museum has hundreds and hundreds of them on display. Each one unique, each one delightful.
Mexico’s Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a vibrant and deeply meaningful celebration that honors loved ones who have passed away. Observed on November 1st and 2nd, it blends pre-Hispanic traditions with Catholic influences. It isn’t a grief-filled holiday, rather a joyful remembrance. Families go to cemeteries bringing all the things the deceased person liked – foods, music, alcohol.
A beloved part of the celebration is the creation of figures and imagery tied to death—but rendered in playful, almost mischievous ways. Artisans create intricate paper mâché skeletons in everyday poses—dancing, playing music, riding bicycles—suggesting that death is simply another part of life’s journey. It has always struck me that this is a joyful way to face mortality.