El Día de los Muertos
I am so excited to write about my time at the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival at the Plaza District in OKC!
For those who have no clue on what Day of the Dead is, it is a very important celebration in Latin America --most associated with Mexico-- that joins the family and community together to honor their friends and family who have transitioned to a better life. It is NOT like our typical Halloween!
The elaborate display of colors, costumes, music, and dances add celebration to death, as if the loved ones have never left all along!
Savannah and I arrived in the middle of the event (it went from 1pm-8pm). We missed the opening parade but we arrived JUST in time to watch the dancers from the Everything Goes Dance studio! The dresses were incredibly beautiful and lively' the "rippling" effect in the dress upon the dancer moving and spinning was simply captivating.
My favorite dancers were the couple Martha and David! They performed the Argentine Tango. (video of them to the right) While I was watching them, I was so fascinated by how intimate and artistic the movements were. The steps are simple, yet the swift yet subtle movements of the woman's leg adds a sexy touch. It inspired me to drag Savannah into Argentine Tango lessons the following week!
The ofrendas were set up along the streets, honoring special deceased of loved ones. Ofrendas are altars that are decorated with objects that have important meaning to the deceased. Everything was beautiful!
Overall, I had SUCH a fun time immersing myself in an important part of Mexican culture. Thinking about death as a positive thing to celebrate definitely entails a completely different atmosphere! I hope to come again.