Dia de los Muertos, Oceanside

Oceanside celebrated its 22nd annual Dia de los muertos festival this weekend. 

I love the Day of the Dead celebrations. 

Everybody has fun.

Posada woman, Fallbrook - Copyright Robert Sommers

Mostly because the Latino and native population is quite serious and sincere about venerating their late family members. I would think the phenomenon started with the Indian natives and then overtook the Spaniards and mestizos in Latin America. I think the sugar skulls go back to the Aztecs and Mayans, the codex nuttal and meso-american era.

We don't really have a corollary for this sort of thing in Western culture. 

We do say the kaddish, or prayer for the dead on Yom Kippor in Judaism. And forgive and ask for forgiveness. 

But most cultures I am aware of have nothing like this these days celebrating their ancestors.

My buddy Jim Ramsey and his wife Debbie showed up with their 5150 Ratrod Club.

The whole club outdid their selves.

Debbie helped decorate Jim's car with the pictures of real late family members that were copied by Brian and Laurie at Village Copy Center.

Looks like everybody was having a great time! 

I think that they did this at the Mission for a long time but switched to downtown Oceanside a few years ago. 

Debbie tells me that they performed the rites in the cemetery at Pala Asistencia also and put candles around the graves. 

She said it was really beautiful. 

Not sure if they still do that.

I have long admired the simple and sincere beauty of Hispanic roadside memorials, like this one I shot in Trampas, New Mexico, the monument to one Macario Griego.

Never forget those of your own that have passed.