Dia de Muertos - The Sugar Market

My plans for today changed.  I was supposed to be out of town.  That was cancelled.  It gave me the opportunity to go to Plaza Civica and walk through the booths with chickens, pigs, puppies and all sorts of characters.  It is so whimsical and creative.  It just makes my heart happy.
The sugar market just makes you smile.

The amount of work to create each of these sugar creatures is quite extraordinary.  These are ephemeral and don't last forever.  It reminds me of the Night of the Radishes in Oaxaca. All the work of planting, raising, carving and decorating radishes - giant radishes - for one day of joy!
Talk about "living in the moment".  It is always around you in Mexico.

This photo makes me laugh!
It looks like there is a mutiny or stampede of pigs.  They don't have happy faces, do they?

Then there are the sweet sheep.  Notice all the detail in the gold on their horns.  Flowers and decoration on their chests.  Magnifico.

I've never seen dogs before - too cute.  You have NO idea how hard it was for me not to buy an armload of everything.  I didn't.  I didn't buy one thing!
Whew.

Just as I arrived at this table they were bringing in the pan de muertos.  It is used on the altars and for the meals at the cemetary or at homes.

Candles for the altars, the gravesites and probably use throughout the year.  All handmade.

 Papel picado is the cut paper streamers with all kinds of scenes cut on it.  These skulls on this streamer are something new and not nearly as time consuming as the beautiful colored papel picado.

More pigs - not as decorated.  Still love them!  Folkart at its best.

As I was going up to more booths, this lady was coming down the stairs from the mercado where she obviously had bought flowers for her altar at home.  As I faced walking up the stairs, I had an "ah ha" moment.  ADA is not a part of life in San Miguel.  We either get up and down stairs or we have to move away.  I personally believe that having to walk the cobblestones, stairs, etc.  keep us from getting old before our time.

Then, of course, eventually  there will be a Dia de Muertos for us!