Eye Candy for A Tourist around Town

The official celebration, as near as I can pin it down, lasts from October 31 through November 2. I spent most of the day today wandering around and checking out all the wonderful public displays. (Ok, and doing a little shopping.) Stores have altars out, the main city hall had an altar contest, and – like department store windows at Christmas – everyone’s got a little decoration out.

This sweet couple sat outside a store - I wonder, are they waiting for their luggage?


And this altar sat outside another store - complete with small bin for offerings. I tossed in a few pesos as payment for getting to take a picture! What an amazing and colorful altar, and against the yellow wall of the building - wow! There were even tiny paper figures carrying a tiny paper coffin . . .


And then, like a community Christmas tree decorating contest, the city hall was filled with more altars!


This one took Fourth Place, but I think they were robbed.


Check out the black clay skulls . . . the black clay they're made from is only found in two places on earth: Oaxaca, and New Mexico. (At least according to a tour guide from yesterday). It fires black, with no glazes at all. Gorgeous.


And this one didn't win anything at all . . . I think they may have gotten docked for the use of the American-style clay jack-o-lanterns . . . Kids definitely do trick-or-treat here (ok, they wear masks, carry around plastic jack-o-lanterns, and ask tourists for coins by saying "Halloween") but the folks are very proud of their traditions (duh!) and I've seen some signs up dissing the north-of-the-border Halloween influences (one I didn't get a photo of that shows a skeleton kicking a witch - very funny). But check out the detail on this skeleton . . . he's almost life size.


I couldn't tell for sure if it was clay or carved wood, but either way, very nice. You know, for a skeleton at City Hall.