Belated 2009 Dia de los Muertos Post

Better late than never: Here are some impressions from last years Dia de los Muertos Parade that always takes place in San Francisco. Armed with votive candles my daughter Valentina, our good friend Camillo and I headed out to the Mission District on a lovely, mild night to join in the parade. It was our first time and I definitely wished I would have known before hand that dressing the part is encouraged. The parade walks through the Mission neighborhood and people sit on their stoops or lean out the windows to see the spectacle. Several bands accompany the procession, which stops and starts, giving the spectators ample time to join in a dance or watch dancers perform. There was a magical and peaceful vibe in the air, even though the parade boosts so many "scary" visions. People bring their babies and toddlers, hold candles or burn sage. I carried a photo of my grandmother Berta Ida, who was the last person in my family and circle of friends to have left this realm. Underneath you can see her portraits (wearing a pink blouse a year before she passed and as a little girl with a Princess Leia hairdo) on my Dia de los Muertos altar.