QotD: Día de los Muertos

Nov 1, 2007 at 3:04 PM
16 comments

Today begins Día de los Muertos. What are your rituals or occasions when you remember loved ones you have lost?

Putting out my paper mache skeleton (anyone know the proper name for those? I can't remember it) with a shot of Everglo for my departed friends. Forgetting to wear my skeleton earrings.

And watching this and stongly wishing the band was still together and having their annual Dead Man's Party halloween/muertos concerts in Los Angeles:

Oingo Boingo Dead Man's Party

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I think Day of the Dead skeletons are called Calacas. Or maybe it's just the skull. Either way, I love saying "calaca".

THAT'S IT!! Thank you!!

I kept thinking "calavera" - which I knew was wrong. But then it would data-wipe all other phrases from my head.

I want to have a pole-dancing calaca made!! Maybe the next time I got to TJ.

ps: THANK YOU FOR COMMENTING. I've been feeling abandoned lately.

calavera is actually the correct term, leenda, you were right. i just taught a unit on dia de los muertos so it's fresh on my mind.

So calaca is just the skull, right? Or am I completely loco?

RE: Commenting. Yeah, it's been pretty slow in teh vox 'hood lately. I was beginning to think everyone got together and blacklisted me just for 'cuz. :-)

actually i'm not familiar with the term "calaca." calavera is a reference to the skull, it is actually a term for the skull, but the skeletons on dia de los muertos are referred to as calaveras too. technically esqueleto is skeleton. it's weird.

Hmm, here in Arizona 'calaca' is used a lot for Dia de los Muertos. Perhaps it's a regional term for parts of Mexico with big presence here.

that's cool. i learned a new word. it wasn't referenced in any of the materials i have.

Definitely the same here: Calavera = skull. Calaca = skeleton. Once in awhile I'll see calavera for skeleton - but it's pretty rare. And if trying to buy stuff for Dia de los Muertos, asking for a calavera will always get you a decorated sugar or paper mache skull.

As long as we're on the topic of slang Spanish phrases: Either of you know the translation for "hora le pues"?? I hear it all the time. Used it once (throwing out slang terms in general) and elicited a laugh. But I realized I have no idea what it actually means. Tried to look it up today but only got back garbage.

I decided that I accidentally activated my super power of Invisibility.

"orale pues" is an untranslatable Mexican slang. I say Mexican because it makes no sense in any other Spanish-speaking country.
it kind of means something along the lines of what would accompany a shrug, or throwing up your hands, "whatever"

thanks!!
(also for the proper spelling - since I, clearly, totally guessed).

spooktastic replied to mariser’s comment:
Nov 3, 2007
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i guess that would explain why i had no idea what the heck that was, being puerto rican and all. :)

Orale (hey homie)...+ pues (then) = OK, then.

Thanks. I knew Mariser was close but not dead on for how I've heard it used. It usually just seems to be a variation of "yo" or "how's it goin?"

QotD: Día de los Muertos

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