Getting down on All Souls' Day

My friends Lin and Richard held a Day of the Dead party last Friday (All Souls' Day--or as my Latin-loving mind likes to think "pro animabus omnium fidelium defunctorum"). I took this photo of the ofrenda early on, before the house filled with a wonderful and eclectic group of interesting people. Some folks, at one point, shared stories about those whose photos they brought. Delightful, moving tales. Lots of good food and drink, of course.

One highlight was when a figure came clomping up the stairs. Long black overcoat, a death's head and shawl--our mortality come to visit and remind us, no doubt. Death embraced one of our hosts, then went back down the stairs again.

It was our parish priest. I noted that we are all canonically required to remind parishioners annually to make their wills, but this seemed a bit dramatic.

Just wanted to share a pic of the great ofrenda. Click the photo to enlarge for details.
--the DD