Can I be outraged at the outrage?  The level of ignorance betrayed is staggering...

I have to agree with Random.  We hear to often hateful ignorant (ignorant...living in 2007 ignorant shouldn't be used..I will use plain old stupidity and racism) remarks.  Can someone who feels the need to make remarks like these please help me to understand how one could have views like this?  This sickens me.

I don't know anything about Dia de los Muertos but it sounds like a day to cherish and remember the dead you love.  Does anyone know if this is close?

Dead on, forgive the pun.

.

This country's attitudes about death could stand to benefit from a healthy look at Mexico's.

No. The people occupying the cemetary don't care...why should we?

How dare them Honor the Dead. I mean after all, we should celebrate American things like Columbus Day, Saint Patrick's Day, Hannukah, and Kwanza. Not this foreign stuff. Skeletons should be viewed only during the Pagan Halloween where we honor the Candy industry. Next thing you know, they'll want to celebrate a third world country's Independence........twice in one year even!

This is an issue that should go right to the front of our local government's agenda, like what we hang on our walls, and whether we should issue a Fatwa against foreign languages, or making the statement that "Yes, we won't be a sanctuary city, not because it is already illegal, but because we just wanna make sure you know that". In fact, I think the local government should also make a proclamation saying we don't support murder, and won't tolerate rapists easily."

So, let all of us Amuricans honor their wishes, by actually helping them meet their ancestors on the Day of the Dead. We'll do that right after the NRA meeting. That would solve almost every City Council problem we have and they will have time to actualy fix roads, and make plans for freeways that don't end in the middle of the town.  It's dispicable. As an Irish American, honoring of the dead was our idea to actually celebrate their lives instead of bemoaning our selflshness, and to get wasted on stout beer while doing so. Haven't the English already stole enough from us????

It is unfortunate that we have ignorant people like Nora Virrey in our community. She does not understand what Dia de los Muertos is about therefore she decides to call it a “voodoo ceremony”. Dia de los Muertos is nothing more than a day to honor those that have passed. Maybe Nora Virrey should do some research before she opens her mouth next time.

This is what Wikepedia says about Halloween: "Many European cultural traditions, in particular Celtic cultures, hold that Halloween is one of the liminal times of the year when spirits can make contact with the physical world, and when magic is most potent (according to, for example, Catalan mythology about witches and Irish tales of the Sídhe)."  I wonder if Ms. Virrey feels Halloween should not be celebrated since it has "voodoo-like roots", and Ms. Virrey, maybe you should visit Mexico so you can see that it is far from being a Third World Country!

alramirez, you took the words right out of my mouth!

"How dare them Honor the Dead. I mean after all, we should celebrate American things like Columbus Day, Saint Patrick's Day, Hannukah, and Kwanza."

You forgot Valentine's Day, Independence Day, President's Day, Thanksgiving, etc., etc.

How dare US scary brown people (BOO) have culture, heritage and love for our ancestors and the beliefs that they had. So when is that NRA meeting?

It's only a big deal if you make it a big deal.  This is another one of those subjects that comes under the heading of : 

"Fun things to be outraged over".

...one reader likening the festivities to "some voodoo ceremony..."

So? I used to practice voodoo all the time. Never had much success, though.

How dare US scary brown people (BOO) have culture, heritage and love for our ancestors and the beliefs that they had. So when is that NRA meeting?

Ernesto, antiextremism was being sarcastic.

My guess is, she never had a high school or college class in sociology.   If she had, she would realize that being different doesn't mean being inferior OR wrong.

And don't forget conservatives complaining that atheists are secularizing it..... (by "declaring war" on it)  ~~Mattloch

A mí me gustaría hacerle este día del muerto a mi liberal a una ofrenda amigos socialistas Mattloch, Azar (RF en espanol), y TomW.

Favor de aceptarle en el espíritu que se da. Conservativo para siempre~~

~~ Chico

Permite nosotros ahora y de aquí en adelante declara guerra en esos quienes declaran guerra en secularisivo, conservatismo, religión, liberalismo, socialismo.

Para "Todo el Mundo"!

ORALE' VATOS!

Gonzales y Ramirez:

We usually even enshrine the most recently passed of our "tribe" along with our ofrende. So you are quite correct as is the Anglo Calamitous Janious.

However the upstart ernestomdo should learn the 2nd amendment (and by assoc the NRA) is dear to the values assoc w/ dia de muerte para los "sangrias" as well as any anglos or others "no parte de la raza"...........

Me, sarcastic John??????

Unheard of.  When have I ever used sarcasm to make a point?????

You're just stereotyping me now because I'm white.

Uh oh, I'm doing it again aren't I?

Neeeeever Miiiiiind. 

long live Cherry Garcia!

Mucus Garcias!

Ms. Virrey you must be one of the lucky ones that has never had a loved one pass away, or you just bury them and forget them.   Dia De Los Muertos is a day in our culture where when honor and remember them.  This is our way of showing others that they were loved and now missed very much.  We loved them so much that we created a holiday to honor them.  I suggest you go to your nearest library and read up on the subject, so next time you want to write something you might just sound intelligent.

poor woman is just ignorant. Hopefully she will try to expand her narrow view of life and cultures.

Ora para "El Dia De Muerte" para los Liberalisimo's, Socialismo's, Secularisivo's, y Appeasiementos para los "tin pot" dictadores aqui (en esa BB) y todo el mundo .............

Entonces, arbusto (chamiso) no son patinando esse. Y los cabesa de nudillos puede electar Hillario Cleentonius

Then we shall see

What will the nudillos y hijos de chingaras complain about then?

Nothing? Of course, because we will then have achieved utopia esse!

long live Cherry Garcia!

Great Ice Cream.

I saw a bumper sticker several years ago that said "Thanks, Jerry for finally dying" Obviously not a Grateful Dead fan.

mucus garcias, juan morenos succiones

porque tue tienes cherry garcias en tus labios?

porque juan morenos succiones esse!   ;-)

This reminds me of something I noticed last Cinco de Mayo.  I was working last Cinco de Mayo and the store I worked at decided to play Spanish music throughout that day only.  The customers were livid.  Many were threatening to not shop in the store again.  All the while these customers were buying out every lime, Corona, and margarita mix they could find and/or heading to the nearest Mexican restaurant to listen to Mariachis while drinking their Coronas and margaritas. Some people nowadays are so touchy about immigration that they see any kind of Mexican heritage creeping into California as an assault on America.

I have to say I always found Dia de los Muertos to be one of the most amazing holidays.  I remember watching a film on it that showed a very poor Mexican family saving their money to buy their deceased family members the higher quality foods.  It has always been an ambition of mine to visit Mexico during this holiday since I always found the celebration so incredible.

When is Cinco de Mayo?

I just can never remember the date. (when it is)

(anyone who drinks Corona must be related to Ghandi somewhere way back there anyway)

I just love Jeff Dunham's (the other white meat) new character Ahmed the Terrorist

Have you seen him?

Of course the jalapeno on a stick is good too essa's...........

check Ahmed out

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Hahah I love the Terrorist! A..... C... flem....

Je-fah-fah Dun-HAM---dot com!

"How dare US scary brown people (BOO) have culture, heritage and love for our ancestors and the beliefs that they had. So when is that NRA meeting?

Ernesto, antiextremism was being sarcastic. "

and so was I John...

  "Don't turn my blog into a Hispanic language blog. "

So... — Andrew Mockett from the Californian is myxlnt? 

sorry

If I'd a knowed you wuz an oh eighter Ida not done 'at

I recollect when my bud who live in the dale mowed his lawn last time.

He found 3 cars

robin (petirrojo)

Fallo clase de español (I'm failing my spanish class)

well, she asked, mr mixalot

As a former high school Spanish teacher in Bakersfield, I am heartened to read so many supportive comments on this blog regarding Dia de Los Muertos.  For 15 years, my students observed this special day from the Mexican culture, complete with "ofrenda", "pan de muerto" and "Catrina" and "Zapatista" masks and puppets.  As some bloggers have implied, Dia de los Muertos and Halloween have the same roots.  While the former is a mixture of Catholic/Christian and Aztec beliefs, the latter is a mixture of Celtic and Christian beliefs.  Dia de los Muertos (aka: Dia de Todos los Santos, or All Saints' Day) is observed on Nov. 1, just as it is in many cultures, while Halloween (from All Hallows Evening, or the Eve of all Saints' Day) is observed Oct. 31.  Lastly, Halloween is designed to display a fear of the dead, while Dia de los Muertos is designed to honor the dead.  So Dia de los Muertos is no more like "voodoo" than Halloween!

Cynthia Saalfield