Tapetes de arena (rugs of sand) are a traditional feature of the celebration in Oaxaca of Día de Muertos. When I first arrived to live here, they were drawn in front of the Cathedral. Next, they moved for a year or two to the Government Palace and for the last several years they have graced the Plaza de la Danza. This year’s offerings were the work of twelve artisans and feature the most beloved and revered of the Jesús and María señores y señoras in Oaxaca. This post will highlight the ladies…
Virgen Dolorosa — Our Lady of Sorrows
Virgen del Carmen — Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Sra. Virgen del Rosario — Our Lady of the Rosary
Interestingly, in previous years the themes of the sand paintings in these public spaces have been Día de Muertos related. I’m not sure of why the change this year to religious imagery. Indigenous Day of the Dead celebrations pre-date the arrival of the Spanish and the All Saints Day of the Catholic church. And in Oaxaca, one of the most indigenous states in Mexico, as Shawn D. Haley points out in his book, Day of the Dead: When Two Worlds Meet in Oaxaca, “there is little of the Spanish influence to be found in the Oaxacan Day of the Dead. The Spanish version… is bleak and dismal…. For the Oaxaqueñans, these days are… joyous and exuberant. It is not a mourning of lost loved ones, but a celebration, a reunion with the dead.”
Santa María de Guadalupe — Our Lady of Guadalupe
Nuestra Señora de la Solidad — Our Lady of Solitude
Inmaculada Concepción de Juquila — Virgin of Juquila
For more of these sand paintings, check out the recent post by blogger buddy Chris. By the way, the feast days for these last three señoras are coming up in December. First on the calendar is Juquila on December 8, then comes Guadalupe on December 12, and, finally, Oaxaca’s patron saint, Soledad on December 18. There will be special masses, processions, and rockets. December is a noisy month!
But first, we must welcome the difuntos (departed) who begin arriving tonight.
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View From Casita Colibrí 