Above: Folkloric dancers wearing colorful feathered headdresses participate in Mexic-Arte Museum’s annual Viva la Vida fiesta in downtown Austin.
Death is democratic, given that in the end, blond or dark, rich or poor, all people end up being skeletons.”
Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913)
For many in this country, ghosts and skeletons are regarded as frightening spirits one should try to outrun. The dead should remain firmly anchored under their grave markers. But Mexican Americans have contributed a cultural change in how death is viewed. Ancestral spirits can be invited to visit, welcomed with family feasts and fiestas.
Continue reading “Austin, Texas: Fanfare for the dead adds to our melting pot”