Monarch Butterflies

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Monarchs Are Here!
(English/Español)

November 2, 2011

Dear Friends:
The whole atmosphere in town is becoming more lively than normal. In spite of the very cold mornings and evenings, the bright sunny days seem to cheer people up. Monarchs passing by adorn the sky while people in town prepare one of our most significant festivities in all México: The Day of the Dead.

While waiting for this important day, we went to El Cerrito for an every-day check-up. It would be not possible to count the monarchs now!

Today, November 2nd, our indigenous towns link the arrival of Monarchs as the visit of the souls of our dead relatives to their families still living on earth.

All over in our country, The Day of the Dead is one of the most important festivities, in which we establish a very special link with our dead relatives, friends and ancestors who represent our identity and point of equilibrium between Earth and Cosmos. For our ancestors, living and dead humans were the main actors of both dimensions: Life and Death, Earth and Cosmos.

Tonight, every home and every family in México, and of course, in Angangueo, will be getting together around their ofrendas expressing our deep spirituality and belief that our dead ones will be with us.

In town, our students of the only high level school, "cbtis 18", were recognized as being the most artistic and original in the way an ofrenda should be set. Every altar was adoring the memory of very dear and relevant persons, either for Mexican people, or for the school community and students described in detail the important meaning of every object, meal and drink placed in their ofrendas for our Dead Ones. I hope that, through these photos, you can imagine the mysticism and devotion we all live today with our families.

Estela Romero

Local reporter

Angangueo, Michoacán, México.

This ofrenda has been dedicated to "Cantinflas", one of our most famous comic artists in México.	All ofrendas should have an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, according to the Catholic tradition.
This ofrenda was also offered to the memory of the comic "Cantinflas", and one of the students in charge of decoration dressed up as the comic. He was really resembling and bahaving as the famous comic.	Every object in an ofrenda should be authentically made as a craft. In no way plastic or synthetic materials are allowed. Drinks should be either Tequila, Pulque or Beer. Meals should include tortillas, tamales, atole, mole, chocolate, chayotes, a special kind of bread only made in this time of the year and the rest mostly objects belonging to the "likes" of our dead ones.

Estela Romero reports from Angangueo

It's impossible to count monarchs now!

Karlita and Emilia fill in the monitoring chart.

Monarchs off the chart!