Day of the Dead in Mexican folk art © Mary Jane Gagnier Mendoza 2003

Dia de los Muertos: the dead come to life in Mexican folk art

Day of the Dead in Mexican folk art © Mary Jane Gagnier Mendoza 2003 For foreigners, the traditions and celebrations in Mexican homes and cemeteries during the Day of the Dead seem strange, if not incomprehensible. There is mourning and rejoicing; sadness and silliness – woven together into one emotional fabric. To me, it’s like […]

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Encruzados Processing

Silver, saints, and sinners™: Semana Santa in Taxco, Mexico

If you have heard of the picturesque, old colonial Mexican town of Taxco at all, you probably associate it with that precious metal so characteristic of Mexico – silver. If you had asked Cortés about Taxco almost 500 years ago, he would have made the same association. In fact, the silver and other minerals from […]

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An altar de muertos dedicated to Lola Beltran © Daniel Wheeler, 2009

Mexico conjures spirits with picturesque ofrendas

Unique observances that exemplify the fusion of Mesoamerican and European cultures, particularly regarding religious practices, render Mexico’s celebration of los Dias de los Muertos as the most distinctive holiday on the nation’s calendar. Customs associated with this festive time of remembrance defy any strict formula, for the practices specific to each region vary considerably. Among […]

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Handmade Mexican dolls © Daniel Wheeler, 2011

In Mexico, April 30 is Children’s Day: el Dia del Niño

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are widely celebrated throughout the world. But Mexico is such an inclusive culture. Children’s Day is always filled with activities, and children look forward to a holiday all their own with fun, gifts and special events. Many schools celebrate the day before and parents are invited. Of course, there are […]

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Day of the Dead: Pictures of Oaxaca

Day of the Dead or El Dia de los Muertos in Oaxaca

Drawn by the intrigue of all-night vigils in cemeteries and life-size skeletons propped jauntily in shop windows, tourists flock to Oaxaca and other points in Mexico for Day of the Dead. During the last week in October, voyeurs come to observe and to photograph the “picturesque” practices of “quaint” indigenous Mexicans. The idea of reunions […]

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Calendar of Mexican food festivals

Possibly no other country in the world has as many festivals, fairs and feast days as Mexico. National holidays, religious holidays and people’s santos (saints’ days) are all celebrated with gusto, as are the observances of the patron saints of virtually every city, town and pueblito. The santoral, or calendar of saints’ days, is so crowded with names […]

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