The Day of the Dead has begun, in the most beautiful ways imaginable.

This morning dozens of people, young and old, arrived at the Jardin Principal to build large public oftendas, the altars that pay tribute to family, friends, classmates, motorcycle and Rotary club members — our loved ones who have passed away.

It is a beautiful and heartwarming thing to watch.

The altars are built along the perimeter of the park and so much thought, creativity, and — especially — tradition goes into the tributes. There is laughter and banter as the altars are built but beneath the surface there are broken hearts that ache for the return of a son, a spouse, a classmate, a riding companion.

The altars are there for all to see and appreciate through the weekend.

Ofrendas under construction. (Click on any picture to enlarge it.):

Over in Plaza Civica, an enormous altar dedicated to indigenous peoples is rich in history and symbolism. Around the corner, the fountain in the center of the Ofrenda Marketplace has been made into an ad hoc altar.

Just off the central park is Catrina Alley. The streets have been given over to artists, estheticians, and makeup specialists who are creating colorful Catrina face on men, women, children and teens, visitors, gringos, and local like. Skeletons abound on every street in San Miguel.

Saturday night it all comes together in a gorgeous parade of Catrinas and Catrins. Laughing calaveras from The Ancha to Centro, starting at 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, the cemeteries are filled with families who have cleaned up the graves of the departed. They will sit around and reminisce, sing songs, tell tales and drink to the memories of the dead.

They say the spirits will visit during the night, enticed over by their favorite songs, food, and drinks, following the marigold pathways from heaven to Earth.

We mourn our dead, but moreso, we honor their memory and celebrate their lives.

I had to go back Saturday to look some of the Ofrendas that were under construction yesterday. The people did an amazing job. Please, if you time, visit Centro to admire the handiwork.

Here are a few photos from this morning:

And here’s a few taken on the way home. The little mural is inside a construction site on Cuadrante. The skulls and flowers are on Aldama, , the cool T-shirt is in a shop on Canal, and the bride and groom and friends are at the Cordo roundabout.

Rose Alcantara took these at the Templo de San Juan de Dios this morning. The skeleton woman rising up from the grave? That is a flat painting. Just incredible. If anyone knows the artist, send me the name!