New Day of the Dead photos from Oaxaca

El Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is in full swing in Oaxaca. Here are a few glimpses of this modern festival with ancient roots. It's essence, welcoming, nurturing and communing with the faithful dead on their once-a-year return:

 Muertos ready for the fiesta

 A woman selects flowers for her altar

A Catrina dressed to kill

 Pan de Muertos--Bread for Day of the Dead

 An altar at the childhood home of Lila Downs

Detail of the altar

Flower vendor's baby at Sanchez Pascua market

Oaxaca prepares for Dia de los Muertos -- Day of the Dead

Oaxaca's Day of the Dead celebration is a fascinating cultural experience. Oaxacans believe that the spirits of dead relatives come back for a visit each year at this time. To guide the fieles difuntos, faithful dead, back home and to ensure that they are content, Oaxacans build elaborate altars covered with marigolds and other orange flowers, and load them with the favorite food, drink, and possessions of the departed. Skulls, skeletons, and elaborately dressed figures of dead people appear everywhere. Here are a few seen on the streets today:

An elegant Catrina in yellow

Death overlooks a busy corner in Oaxaca

Another Catrina in pink and blue

Photos by Robert Adler. May be re-used with attribution per Creative Commons.