The Day of the Dead

Today is the Day of the Dead.  In the USA we do not take a day to honor our dead.  Here in Nicaragua, all government businesses are closed: no schools, no health centers, and no post office.  The day is free for everyone to go to the cemetery and visit the graves of their family members.  Our 80-year-old neighbors left yesterday to return to his home of origin to visit the graves of his parents.  It is a 5-hour trip: bus, taxi, bus and taxi.  They will return exhausted tomorrow but satisfied that they have met their annual obligation.  Who knows how many more years they will be able to make that journey. 

The cemetery is on the other side of town so John and I hopped in a cab this morning.  Typically, there were already two people in the cab, an elderly woman on the way to the market whom we all called mother, and a man decked out in his mariachi outfit and holding his mariachi guitar. He was also on his way to the cemetery so he and the cab driver welcomed us without hesitation.  We found out that William (the mariachi man) was on his way to meet the rest of his group to play in the cemetery.  John was asking him all sorts of questions about his group and I knew he was scheming for his farewell birthday party 18 months from now (stay tuned). 

John and William

The road was blocked about 6 blocks from the cemetery and the streets were lines with concessions selling toys, hats, blow up animals, lots of flowers, food, soft drinks and water.  We entered the cemetery and were greeting by two young men with shovels and machetes ready to clean up a grave for us.  The place was full of people carrying flowers, garden tools, paints and food.  We saw a baby sleeping in a hammock over his grandparent’s grave, families sitting together laughing, and others standing more solemnly arm and arm. As always, the ice cream man was there as well as the man who sells the Nicaraguan version of snow cones and someone selling fried pork

rinds (chicharón).They never miss any event.

Ice Cream Man

Venders outside the cemetery

Baby in the hammock

Carrying flowers

More flowers

There was a large group of people in one area so went over to see what was going on to find a burial in process.  The whole time we were there I was aware of a strong sense of purpose.  People were there to clean up the graves and decorate them.  They were planting, weeding, and painting and the colors were bright and happy. If they were not at their gravesites yet, they were on their way with bunches of flowers.

Solemn couple

Eventually we caught up with the mariachi band and they played for us.  Although no Nicaraguans were asking them to play, when they played for us a small crowd gathered and when they finished one man said, “More!” but I don’t think he was willing to pay.  We left and went to our local air-conditioned coffee shop and made a list of all our observations as we appreciated yet another Nicaraguan tradition that makes so much sense and is not part of our culture. 

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