These are NOT pictures taken
during the Halloween. Rather, I photographed these on the Day of the
Dead (Dia de los Muertos), which is a Mexican holiday. Unlike the
Chinese culture that regards death as a taboo, Mexicans celebrate the
event by focusing on remembering the positive sides of their deceased family
members and friends. The origin of the Day of the Dead can be traced back to the Aztec tribe. Later this tradition was merged with the Catholic All-Saints Day.
Los Angeles has a large Mexican
population and thus the Day of the Dead has been a Californian festival
for many years. During the event many families gather at the cemetery
and present colorful decorations to pay tribute to the dead. Some of the
decorations were even humorous. If there is a realm beyond our horizon, perhaps celebrating and laughing about death is the right attitude.