Altars, ofrendas

I've got a few more pictures to put up from the Mexico tour. I'm at the post-tour stage where I'm wondering if it was just a lovely dream. The pictures remind me that I was truly there. I keep finding small themes in my pictures. Here's one.

Here's an ornate baroque altar from a church in Queretaro. In the middle is the Virgen de Guadeloupe, who is deeply important in Mexico. I recommend zooming in to look at this picture.

This little altar was deep inside Las Grutas de Garcia.

In contrast, the Day of the Dead ofrendas are temporary. This was part of the ofrenda in Xochimilco. Don't these skeletons look dapper?

And speaking of dapper, these paper skeletons were decorated by kindergarteners and preschoolers at the Liceo de Monterrey. I took this and the next picture in part to explain to North Americans that as I wrote earlier, Day of the Dead is a giant celebration for the whole family, not scary at all for small children. One of the teachers at Tomas Moro was telling me how her small children love setting up their altar, choosing who it will be dedicated to (her brother-in-law who died a few years ago), deciding which of his hobbies to display.

This altar is on the wall at the Liceo de Monterrey, perpendicular to the decorated skeletons above. It includes pictures of family and friends who have died.