Catrinas and the Day of the Dead
The Catrina became part of Day of the Dead around the time of the Mexican Revolution. Today you always see her in the celebrations. Day of the Dead evolved from ancient Aztec celebrations and was modified when the Catholics missionaries arrived in the New World. The Catrina is a recent addition. Elements of Halloween have also begun to influence how Day of the Dead is celebrated. In this video is a competition of Catrinas in the Naco Cemetery.
Foster writes: “My idea was to show a timeless world with minimal modern influences. The Catrinas to me are like rulers of the underworld. La Llorona is a different story of a woman that drowned her children and forevermore wanders the arroyos crying for her lost children. The combination of the two afterlife ideas with the roadside shrine of a loved lost one brings out the deep feelings we have for our lost relatives that we still very much love. The place above the clouds and the mountains is where we never get to go except when we reach for our lost loved ones and find them in another world.”
Carr House usually celebrates this event. It will not be celebrating this year. Mike Foster is a videographer and Carr House Host. They are now closed for the season.