Dear Friends,
The monarchs are truly arriving now. The increase was considerable from yesterday to today. Antonio (age 6), who lives by El Cerrito, assured me that main arrival is just starting to take place.

Throughout town we can see butterflies flying overhead today. My camera could not catch them, they were flying so high! Perhaps Monarchs did not arrive early this year as we might have predicted.

The Day of the Dead
Since prehispanic times, we believe that our dead relatives came to visit us the night of November 1-2, and eat and drink during their brief visit. For us, the arrival of the monarch butterflies symbolizes our ancestors' souls returning to town.

Yesterday afternoon, our celebration of the Day of the Dead in town was indeed special for Angangueo. It has almost been 9 months now since around 20 people died due to the flooding events last February.

A big alter (ofrenda) was placed at the main entrance of the church downtown to honor the memory of those who died. The drum and our town's Trompeten band played solemn pieces and asked for a minute of silence. Children in town wore costumes, and many families brought a portion of the dishes prepared at home to place at the ofrenda.

Children participating in this main Ofrenda downtown wore costumes as close to our tradition of the Day of the Dead as possible. As part of last night´s celebration, the night previous to the Day of the Dead, there was a Camboya Ballons Contest. Here the winner when being prepared to be released and rise.

Visiting a Family Ofrenda
Lupita (age 9), invited Laura Emilia and Zamara to see her family´s ofrenda. Lupita lives in a typical, beautiful house along Angangueo's main route to the monarch sanctuary of La Salud. As is our tradition, Lupita's family prepared all the drinks and dishes their grandpa used to enjoy.

Typical home-made dishes, all different. On the right, the Molcajete, Bracero and Tamales, prehispanic, old fashioned and Mexican traditional instruments and dish, respectively.

Visiting the Cemetery in Angangueo.
Here some photo of the town's cemetery, being decorated by people visiting their dead relatives' graves. They show some impressions of the way we honor the memory of our dead relatives at the cemetery:

• Some people play typical music, if their dead relatives asked to be honored that way when dead.

• Laura Emilia and Zamara arranged the flowers for our family chapel.

• The cemetery will be colorfully decorated for the coming weeks.

Many, many greetings.

Estela, friends and family.

Antonio (age 6), who lives by El Cerrito, assured me that the main arrival is just starting to take place.

A big alter (ofrenda) was placed at the main entrance of the church downtown to honor the memory of those who died in February.

Children participating in this main Ofrenda downtown wore costumes as close to our tradition of the Day of the Dead as possible.

Visiting a Family Ofrenda

Lupita (age 9), invited Laura Emilia and Zamara to see her family's ofrenda.

Visiting the Cemetery in Angangueo

Some people play typical music, if their dead relatives asked to be honored that way when dead.

Laura Emilia and Zamara arranged the flowers for our family chapel.