I have the best girlfriend ever...

Lydia wrote a calavera for me because it was All Hallows day.

In my home region, the Huasteca in Mexico, All Hallows day is known as Xantolo and the indigenous tradition is quite similar to the Irish Samhain: On november 1st, the date is fixed due to Catholic Missionaries influence I guess, as the days come shorter the dead are allowed to come back and roam the earth. We prepare for our dead relatives an altar with their favourite food and drinks. In order for them not to get lost, a road of cempazúchil petals is laid from the street gate to the altar.

By night, Xantolo is a huge party. Los viejos (spanish for the old men) start roaming the streets as they go to the main square. Los viejos are an ensamble of young men lead by a horn holder, half of them wearing male costumes and half wearing female costumes, nowadays women are giving the chance to participate too, who represent the death. They walk the streets from the graveyard to the mainsquare stoping now and then to perform a two line dance to a certain traditional tune played by a violin and a guitar. As the tune finishes they dancers break loose and start chasing children around until the horn holder blews the horn and calls them again to walk the street, I loved this when I was small. Truth be told I still love this now.

In the past, during our dictatorial periods, All Hollows days represented an oportunity to conduct political satire through verses known as calaveras. Also calaveras are written for those you care about. My girlfriend wrote me one for this Xantolo:

Estaba Blas en su hora de comida

saboreando arroz como de costumbre

cuando de pronto aparecio la temida

esa que dicen trae pesadumbre

La figura vestida de negro

comenzo entonces a hablar

no importa que estes en el extranjero

de mi no te vas a escapar!

Solto blas una carcajada

que hizo a la flaca enojar

no digas tanta pendejada

mi novia me va a rescatar!

Los dos me hacen los mandados

y a los dos me los voy a llevar

sirve que ya no estan separados

y juntos x siempre se van a quedar!

--- o ---
Here goes my free translation...

Blas was having his lunch hour.
Eeating rice as usual.
Suddenly, the dreaded,
that they say brings grief,
the black-clad figure
began to speak:
"No matter that you're abroad
you will not escape me! "
Blas laughed out loud.
This made the skinny mad.
"Do not say so much crap,
my girlfriend is going to rescue me! "
"The two of you do my errands
and the two I'm going to take.
Serve you well, that you are no longer separated
and together forever you will always be!"