Living, Dying, and Eating in the “Day of the Dead” Belt

By Brother Gary “Coyote” Nabhan, OEF

Other regions of North America may claim that they are the Corn Belt or the Bible Belt, but here in Tucson, we cling to the buckle of the cinturón of Day of the Dead. In an arc stretching from New Orleans through San Antonio and Albuquerque, from Tucson to Yuma and San Diego, the Dia de los Muertos is not just one kind of celebration, but many.

Hispanic families in New Mexico celebrate it differently from recent immigrants from Mexico who have landed in L.A., or from various Native American villages in southern Arizona. Catholic or not, Spanish-speaking or not, the Day of the Dead touches and motivates people of all races and cultures to get into the graveyards or out on the streets to mourn, grieve, celebrate, or eat in the company of our ancestors.

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About John Michael

Pastor, teacher, partner, dog walker, gardener, conservationist, contemplative, hiker. Currently serving as a Formation Coordinator for OEF and Dean of VT/NY conference of Lutheran Synod.

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