Frida and Dia de los Muertos

On the Day of the Dead, celebrated every year on November 1 and 2, life meets death in a festival of memories and joy.  Men, women and children honor and celebrate their beloved dead in a commemoration that is nearly 4000 years old.
Colorful sugar skulls of all sizes can be seen everywhere in Mexico, Frida Kahlo used to create “offrenda” (altar) in her Blue House during this festivity; she also let herself being photographed in her bedroom holding a skull. 

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Frida Kahlo painting # 109: Without Hope, 1945; Licensed replica © Banco de México Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo Museums Trust / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2008

She painted skulls of different sizes in her paintings, probably the most significant is the one with her name on it.

Frida Kahlo, about 1950, Photographer unknown.

In Mexico death is perceived in a special way; often represented as the popular “Catrina”, death is present in every aspect of everyday life.

Frida Kahlo painted a full size skeleton on top of the canopy bed, reproducing what she indeed had in her bedroom in the Casa Azul.

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Photo left: Frida Kahlo, Painting #76: The Dream or The Bed, 1940; 
Licensed replica © Banco de México Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo Museums Trust / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2008