Dia de los Meurtos, a festival celebrated by the indigenous people of Central and Southern Mexico, affirms a joyous perspective of death. It is their belief that the departed are alive in the realm of Mictlan, waiting for an annual return among the embodied when the veil between worlds is thinnest. The dead, guided to their earthly homes by candlelit paths of marigold flowers, reunite with their families, listen to music, and enjoy their favorite food and drink. Children witness love and respect for the departed. Death is embraced as a friendly aspect of life.

For more of Helmuth’s work, view Volume I