dia de los muertos

i love celebrating dia de lost muertos in the mission district in san francisco. there is just nothing like it. {past years here and here}

kelsey, brittany and i painted our faces to participate in the procession.  
i think brittany and i looked pretty awesome…
 
but kelsey definitely took the cake. doesn’t she look amazing?! lots of photographers stopped her in the procession to take her picture.
 
the streets were packed and the creepy cool atmosphere was thick and potent.     
after the procession, we went to the park to see the altars people had set up to honor the dead. there was such a neat feeling there – amidst the drums being played by several groups around and the hoards of people and the cacophony of activity, there was an air of sacredness and reverence and human connection.  i loved taking a peak into what people had left as tokens to their loved ones that have passed before.
 
i particularly loved this table, set up with a mary oliver quote that i love – what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? – and paper and markers for everyone to contribute their answer.
 

we walked all the way back to kelsey’s apartment from the park. the streets, teaming with people aiming to look dead, were contrastingly so alive in the dark night. i felt a sensation of uniformity covering diversity – mortality binds us all despite our differences.

speaking of human connection, i love this: