The Day of the Dead in El Salvador is NOT Halloween. No, it has its roots in the Mexican celebration “EL Dia de los Muertos”. Unlike Mexico, where it is a three-day-celebration, in El Salvador they do it in one day. But it is festive and colourful and noisy– actually a celebration of life – with mariachi and food accompanying the fiestas.
We quickly passed by Panchimalco, our neigbouring, indigenous community, on Sunday. Lots of people, everyone determined to visit the graves of beloved ones, to fix and paint them, decorate them, with flowers, fresh or artificial.
A day of both joy and sorrow, my pictures mainly reflect the latter. But I want to assure, and thanking to the people of Panchipalco, that we were received both with smiles and courtesy during their important celebration.