Life in Mexico: Endings and New Beginnings

Hola amigos! It’s been a while since I shared a Life in Mexico installment. This one feels overdue as I’ve been holding onto pieces of this story for months because so much has changed and I needed time to sit with it before putting it into words.

New Beginnings

Earlier this year we made the cross country journey to North Central Mexico. Amigos, welcome to Aguascalientes, a city that borders the highlands of Jalisco, or Los Altos, where my family is from, and the state of Guanajuato. 

A place that finally feels like home. A place that brings me closer to my family and roots, and where I’ve been able to heal parts of my heart that were broken since I was a little girl.

I have so much I want to share with you about Aguascalientes. Today let’s start with a few clips of the Dia de Muertos celebrations from a couple of weekends ago. There were lots of events in the city, like parades, contests, artisan fairs, and even international music groups performed at the events. 

Dia de Los Muertos in Aguascalientes

Fun fact: Did you know that one of the most recognized symbols of Dia de Muertos, La Catrina, was invented in Aguascalientes? 

The printmaker and lithographer José Guadalupe Posada was born and worked in  Aguascalientes. He created the female skeleton as satire for the way the Mexican women of the upper class dressed in European fashion to try to hide their indigenous roots. 

There’s a whole museum dedicated to Posada’s work, I’ll take you along on a tour in another video.

One of my favorite things we stumbled upon was the festive decorations at the city’s Cultural Institute. They had a big ofrenda in the main courtyard that was full of color and the important Dia de Los Muertos elements. The altars were decorated using fruits, vegetables, beans, rice, chiles, corn, and other grains to celebrate the holiday and the harvest season.

Included were the most beautiful Catrinas and Catrins. You’ll also notice the decorations in the background commemorating the 450th anniversary of the city of Aguascalientes. The letters and numbers were made out of beans and they were gorgeous! 

I’m so grateful that this year I was also able to visit my dad and grandparent’s grave in my family’s hometown. I haven’t been able to do this since I was a little girl. And back then it was just going to church and taking flowers to the grave.

I was pleasantly surprised that things have changed and loved ones now decorate the graves. It was very beautiful and healing to see. 

Thanks for reading and watching amigos, I have lots more videos and stories to share. For now just now that my heart, soul, and stomach are very happy to be back to my roots. Lots more to come, stay tuned! 

If you’d like to see a few more Life in Mexico videos, you can find a playlist on my YouTube channel.