Have a nice and colourful Day of the Dead!

Photo Credit: Cristiana Ferrauti

Pumpkins and evil costumes were leaving the supermarkets’ shelves, while at the Bargehouse Oxo Tower Wharf - in the South Bank area of London - the Mexican people were still showing their celebration for the Day of the Dead.

Photo Credit: Cristiana Ferrauti

Memory and honour are tribute to the dead souls, in a similar way to the Christian November 1.
However, once got into the building where the South American embassy organised the exhibition, the differences were extremely evident.

At the fourth floor, there were workshops and creative activities for the children.

At the fourth floor
Photo Credit: Cristiana Ferrauti

To the visitor’s eyes, the first impression could have been like this: kids playing with decorated lolling skulls and eyeballs, having their faces painted like evils and wearing skeleton t-shirts on gracious pink skirts or with sweatpants.

They seemed to have the same energy of the trick or treat night, but instead of a frightening experience, the Mexican atmosphere added a more colourful note.

The mazy levels between the last floor and the ground were used for the exhibition of photos related to the issue of the Death.
The lifeless faces and the alive dressed-up dancers who occupied the centre of the frames would give the idea of the celebration in the country.

At the entrance, ground floor
Photo Credit: Cristiana Ferrauti

Nevertheless, the entrance was probably the more striking vision for a foreign visitor.
A sort of altar, covered by statues, garlands, and papier-mâché flowers welcome the unaware viewer.

“I really enjoy this different culture”, said Siobhan Linard, who has her face painted in a skull resemblance. “As you may see from my makeup, I like to join a so particular world”.

From the 31^st October, the Mexican people prepare all the necessary for the next two celebration days.

Indeed, the first day of November, called Dia de los Inocentes – the Day of the Innocents – all the community recalls the infants died.

Dia de los Muertos – the Day of the Dead –, instead, is the period during which the gates of the afterlife would be open, to let the dead people reach their families gifts.

The major part of the audience was obviously Spanish speakers.
Nevertheless, many visitors were completely far from the Mexican culture. Talking with them helped to figure out how amazing and fascinating at the same time is this so different way of honouring the dead.

English people prefer remembering the graves and the terrific passage by dark, frightening costumes and decoration on the 31 October.

On the other part of the world, another country likes to celebrate the eternal passage with less gloom and doom.

The Death is an element that everyone in his life has to face.

This exhibition is a proof of how the human beings may differ in dealing with it.