 calavera estudiante (student skeleton) © 1991 Alfred Avila  roof decoration on carousel in downtown Santa Ana, California |
Noche de Altares 2008 (Night of Altars) "Organized by non-profit organization El Centro Cultural de México and local business Calacas Inc., [the] 6th Annual Noche de Altares is a free, family-friendly community event. Throughout the day there will be arts and crafts workshops, face painting, local artists selling their wares, and delicious food from local restaurants and vendors. Live music and entertainment from local and international musicians and dance troupes all day. "At the heart of the tradition, community members from Santa Ana and as far as Los Angeles will construct over 40 altars. Participants are encouraged to build their altar in memory of a deceased loved one or to bring awareness to a social issue. Registration to build an altar is free and open to the public." — from 2008 event program Photos copyright © November 1, 2008 Kat Avila / Time of Day: late afternoon / Camera: Canon SD1000 |
El Día de Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) El Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) is celebrated from the evening of October 31 through November 2 (All Saints' and All Souls' Days) in memory of the deceased. Typical activities include preparing and decorating ofrendas (family altars of food and other offerings for the dead; the making of ofrendas has also evolved into an art form), cleaning up grave sites and picnicking with departed loved ones at the crowded cemetery, and playing traditional Dia de los Muertos games. Orange and yellow marigold flowers (the Aztec cempasuchil), sugar skulls and toy coffins, pan de los muertos (bread of the dead), and calaveras (handcrafted skulls and skeletons, historically linked to lampooning verses of the same name) are among the usual items sold for this festival. Skeletal figures of a woman wearing a fashionable mushroom hat trimmed with plumes and lace are of La Calavera de la Catrina ("Fashionable Lady Skeleton"), based on a 1913 zinc etching by political cartoonist and artist José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913). |
 custom-art ceramic skulls for sale |
 papel picado calaveras (calavera paper cutouts) |
 bag with La Calavera de la Catrina design |
 The Cym banner shows a person with Day of the Dead face paint. |
 At a vendor's booth, a large unpainted papier-mâché skull. |
 feather headdress |
 This display was replaced by a regular altar. |
 feather headdresses |
 The Aztec eagle warrior altar that replaced the display of headdresses. |
 |
 Aztec feather shield and basket of maize ears |
 feather headdress |
 La Virgen de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe) graces this altar for women. |
 |
 "Gender-based infanticide, abortion, malnutrition and neglect are believed to be behind 60 to 100 million women 'missing' from the world's population...." |
|
|
 |
 |
 heart wreath |
 |
 |
 La Calavera de la Catrina and marigold cross |
 mosaic of La Calavera de la Catrina |
 rice mosaic skull |
 |
 la bandera de México (the flag of Mexico) |
 Orange County Children's Therapeutic Arts Center (OCCTAC) |
 OCCTAC table altar |
 OCCTAC floor altar |
 OCCTAC paper skull decorations |
 OCCTAC info basket |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 calaverita de azúcar (sugar candy skull) |
 |
 |
|
 Frida Kahlo altar |
 together forever |
 |
 panes de figuras antropomorfas (anthropomorphic figure loaves) for Day of the Dead |
|
|
 In front of the Yost Theatre, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. |
 calavera banner |
 life-size calaveras |
 life-size calaveras |
 life-size calaveras |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 A daughter's dolls are part of this altar. |
 multi-mask |
 remembering Iraqi war deaths of soldiers and civilians |
 remembering U.S. war veterans |
 memorial crosses planted in the bushes |
 marigold cross |
 marigold cross and bowl of fruit |
 |
 |
 Chican@s Unidos, "an O.C. Grassroots Chican@ Rights Organization Promoting Culture and Empowerment" |
 Orange County Mexican American Historical Society (OCMAHS) |
 OCMAHS |
 OCMAHS |
 |
 |
 "¡Hola! How are you today?" |
 |
 La Calavera de la Catrina tops this altar. |
 |
 |
 |
 ballet folklórico (Mexican folk dances) |
 custom-art ceramic skull that I bought |
 ceramic calavera storyteller doll from Peru |
