The Magic of the Cities.

Zen promotes the rediscovery of the obvious, which is so often lost in its familiarity and simplicity. It sees the miraculous in the common and magic in our everyday surroundings. When we are not rushed, and our minds are unclouded by conceptualizations, a veil will sometimes drop, introducing the viewer to a world unseen since childhood. ~ John Greer

Saturday, November 1, 2008

November 2008 Theme Day: Books


Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

An altar on a bookstore shop window at Roma borough.

The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos in Spanish) is a holiday celebrated mainly in Mexico and by people of Mexican heritage (and others) living in the United States and Canada. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and relatives who have died. The celebration occurs on the 1st and 2nd of November, in connection with the Catholic holy days of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day which take place on those days. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Observance of the holiday in Mexican-American communities in the United States has become more important and widespread as the community grows numerically and economically.

Similar holidays are celebrated in many parts of the world; for example, it is a public holiday in Brazil, where many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain, there are festivals and parades, and at the end of the day, people gather at cemeteries and pray to their loved ones who have died. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe and in the Philippines, and similarly-themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures. [Wiki.]

music+image

Gracias por su visita / Thanks for visiting.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wish I was there for Day of the Dead!!

Jilly said...

Just beautiful photograph - books and the Festival. It seems to coincide with Halloween? Love the music... tra la la as I listen...

Kate said...

Wat a wonderful way to combine Día de los Muertos and theme day. Come to my blog tomorrow to see how I honour the day. Your photo is a beautiful illustration of both theme and special Mexican day!

Clueless in Boston said...

A great altar built on the bookcase. Remembering the dead and books does seem to go together as people in books live forever.

Interesting and fitting that the anti-spam word I have to type in is "deadrop"

ft. lauderdale daily photo said...

Really interesting post and photo for the theme this month.

Tony said...

Hola carraol encantado de saludarte, hacía tiempo que no me pasaba por tu blog, pero he estado liado con mi primer concurso de fotografía y para ser el primero me ha salido muy bién...saludos

Carraol said...

Jilly, Kate, Photogirl, Mark, Clueless, thanks a lot for visiting. Tony, gracias por la visita y muchos saludos.