Día de los Muertos ofrenda

Photographs by Caley McIntyre

Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Class of 2011

Mexico Fulbright-Garcia Robles Alum, 2009

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) ofrenda, Mexico City, UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico)	A well-dressed skeleton makes his way through UNAM

"An ancient and cherished tradition throughout Mexico, Day of the Dead celebrates the return of the spirits of the deceased to the world of the living. Ofrendas—altars decorated with the pictures of the departed, golden marigolds and skulls—are built and gifts to the spirits are left for their enjoyment. It is a colorful, celebratory affair, far from the funerary atmosphere one might expect. Rather than mourn the passing of loved ones, it celebrates their lives.

In a sense, one might say Mexicans embrace death as a part of life. The skull represents death in Mexico just as it does elsewhere—the difference lies in what death represents."

Excerpted from Caley McIntyre's blog about his year in Mexico - http://caleyelguero.wordpress.com