It was very hot on Saturday and extremely bright, so things were pretty slow when I arrived just before 4 p.m. People were lazily checking out the altars--which weren't as spectacular as last year's, but still fascinating.
I took the advantage of the daylight hours to cover the cemetery--and get some food. The lines get so long at night, because everyone wants their micheladas! And sure enough, once night fell, it was almost impossible to move through the crowd. Shit was worse than Coachella.
One delightful discovery this year was the mausoleum (where they project all the movies for Cinespia) filled with Día de los Muertos artwork--in addition to the beautiful statues that line the halls.
Crazy Día de los Muertos kids in love.
I love the altars dedicated to historical figures, literary and music, etc. This year, there were tributes to Charles Darwin, DeeDee Ramone and Lux Interior or the Cramps.
As always, the traditional dances amazed. I loved it when this feathered fella came over and posed with a lady in a wheelchair. She was utterly thrilled. While watching the dance, I had a great celeb sighting: Charles Phoenix!
I know a lot of people complain about the "hipster-ifcation" of Halloween and especially Día de los Muertos, but I'm ok with it, because I find the celebration so moving. Whenever you stop at an altar, people want to tell you all about their loved ones. There is so much emotion and artistry in these presentations, and ultimately, they are a joyous celebration of life.
And right now, it still feels like it hasn't been bastardized by all the crass commercialism that surrounds every other holiday...but I'm sure that's coming.
Stay tuned! We're going to finish out the week with día de los muertos, part iii!
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