Dia De Los Muertos

Day of the Dead is coming up! This two day celebration will be November 1 and 2. I am oddly much more excited by this than Halloween. I have always been very interested by spanish speaking cultures. I love the language and I love the traditions. This day focuses on the gathering of family and friends to pray and remember those who have deceased. Aside from the traditions themselves, the art really draws me to this holiday. 

This is a sugar skull and I think they are extremely pretty.
There is such detail and intricate design it makes me just want to stare at them.
We've talked in class about your eye moving across a piece of art, I don't even know how my eye moves across this. My eyes move all over with any clear patten, I just want to stare. There is so much to see in the nature of these artworks.

Brief history: It is believed that the gates of heaven open at midnight on October 31, allowing the spirits of the deceased children (angelicas) to reunite with their families for a brief 24 hrs. The second  day of the celebration, the adult spirits come down to enjoy the festivities as well. Traditionally beautiful alter are put together, adorned with lots of food, bottles of soda, hot cocoa and water, candles, marigolds, folk art skeletons, sugar skulls, etc. It can be a very expensive ritualistic holiday, its believed that happy spirits will provide protection, good fortune and wisdom to their families. On the second day people go to the cemetery to clean tombs stones, play cards, listen to music and reminisce about loved ones they have lost. 

The art pieces are steeped in historical background and mysticism, which to me makes them all the more interesting and all the more beautiful.