Dia de los Muertos

Today, November 2nd, is knows as Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.  It is a day when Latin Americans spend with their families, sharing food and remembering their deceased loved ones. Different countries have different customs, and ways of celebrating Dia de los Muertos -- in the USA we are most familiar with Mexican customs of sugar skulls and related art work.  In Ecuador the customs are a little different.

On Dia de los Muertos, families gather in the cemetery at the graves of their loved ones.  What they do there depends on their specific culture.  One of my Spanish teachers in Quito told me that he once went to a cemetery that was half Mestizo and half indigenous on Dia de los Muertos.  On the Mestizo side, it was a sad occasion and people were crying -- and on the indigenous side it was more a celebration, with picnics and singing and dancing.

Another Ecuadorian tradition is the making of "guaguas de pan," or "bread babies" -- and a drink called "colada morada".  The bread babies take different forms in different parts of the country, and are sometimes elaborately decorated and filled with jelly.  In other places they are more plain (but still yummy).  The "colada morada" is made of a blue corn flour cooked with a purple berry and some other fruits -- its warm and think and fruity, and also yummy.

It is a short school week this week -- the kids had school on only Monday and Tuesday.  Wednesday and Thursday are family days (much like the long Thanksgiving weekend in the USA), and Friday is like a recovery day.  So, on Tuesday the kids' school took part in the tradition of making "guaguas de pan" and "colada morada."  (Emmett was home sick with a stomach virus that day, so only Annalise was there.)

Annalise and her buddy Angeles

Frying the bread babies in the "school kitchen" -- over an open fire

Annalise and friends waiting patiently to eat

Unique, hand made bread babies and colada morada (with pieces of fruit floating in it)

The school cafeteria

The "colada morada" was cooked in the big cauldron (Jorge and Juan Diego are watching over it)

The school doesn't have enough cups for everyone, but drinking out of a bowl is just as good

I love the expression and individuality

Emmett says this one was delicious

I noticed Annalise's name written on the kitchen door -- she said "Mom, I didn't write it!"  Yeah, I guessed that.  

The teacher gave us some guaguas and colada to bring home with us, for Emmett who was home sick that day, and for John who has been volunteering teaching English in the kids' school (in addition to teaching English in the larger public school in town, and to a group of kids and adults in town two evenings per week with Emmett as copilot).  It was all very yummy, and it was really fun to be part of the tradition.

Today we took part in the event at the cemetery, which is on the Mission grounds just across the river and up the hill from our apartment.  It became evident early in the day that most of the foot traffic in town was heading in that direction.  Early in the morning we took a walk up there, before most people had arrived, to take a look at some of the graves.  Many of the older graves were just marked with a simple wooden or cement cross, but the newer ones took many different forms.

This truck was selling balloons -- later on people set up tents selling ice cream, drinks and popsicles

Notice the woman on the right in the yellow sweater kneeling at the gravesite of her family member

This cross grave marker has almost sunk into the ground

People make brush piles to provide shade for their deceased loved ones (it was a really hot day, so we could appreciate the importance of this)

The priest's residence and church offices are in the background

Emmett noticed a baby-sized sarcophagus

Notice the candles burning next to grave sites -- there were many of these

A relatively new grave

There is a small shade roof over the cross on the right