Dia de los Muertos 1

This is the first of a two part blip (as our photographic odyssey started at 22:00 and extended into the next day) on Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. It is a national holiday here in Mexico and I never really understood the significance until this trip to Patzcuaro. The websites say friends and family gather at the gravesite to honor those who have passed. What they fail to say that the cemeteries are absolutely filled with people and just about every grave is decorated with flowers, food, mementos and candles. It is an awe-inspiring sight for which I was truly unprepared. I did my best to capture what was in front of me, testing the capabilities of my camera in a big way, but was unable to convey the seriousness of this occasion. One photo simply cannot do justice to such an event, so I posted some additional images here. Even those do not fully showcase this incredible event. I think that can only be done firsthand.