🇲🇽 Viva Mexico!

Hi there, crafting friends! 🎨✨ I am so sorry for the delay—I’ve been traveling and exploring, but I’m back and so excited to share some of the incredible things I discovered during my recent trip to Mexico!

It was such a fascinating experience to delve into the history and culture of the places I visited, especially Cancun and Playa del Carmen. When you travel, there’s nothing quite like looking beyond the surface and seeing how a country’s traditions are reflected in their crafts. 🇲🇽

Here is a little peek into the vibrant culture and meaningful crafts I encountered on my journey!

💀 Celebrating Life: Día de los Muertos

One of the most striking things you’ll see all over Mexico are the beautifully decorated, unusual-looking skulls called Calaveras. These are central to Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead), a multi-day holiday celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. 🌼

Far from being a somber occasion, it’s a festive time when family and friends gather to remember and pay respect to those who have passed. It often takes on a humorous and lighthearted tone, with people sharing funny stories and anecdotes about their loved ones.

Traditions to look for:

• Ofrendas (Altars): Families build beautiful altars in their homes, filled with offerings like the deceased’s favorite foods and beverages. 🍲🥤
• Marigolds & Face Painting: Bright orange marigold flowers are everywhere, and many people paint their faces in stunning skull motifs. 🌸
• Candy Sugar Skulls: It’s common to give sugar skulls as gifts to friends and even write lighthearted “mock epitaphs” for living friends! 🍬

I was actually gifted a white skull by a craft coordinator at my resort! I’m planning to paint it and send him a photo of the finished piece. Stay tuned for that! 🖌️

👁️ The Spiritual “God’s Eye”: Ojos de Dios

The second treasure I came across is the Ojo de Dios, or “God’s Eye.” Similar to spiritual symbols found in other cultures, this is a ritual tool made by weaving colorful yarn around a wooden cross. 🧶✝️

It represents a confidence in “all-seeing providence”—the idea that the spiritual eye has the power to see and understand things unknown to the physical eye. While these are popular crafts for children today, they have deep indigenous roots:

• A Symbol of Growth: Traditionally, when a child is born, the father weaves the central “eye.”
• Yearly Traditions: A new color is added for every year of the child’s life until they reach the age of five. 🎂

Even though many of the ones you see in tourist markets are made for fun, the history behind them is just so special and spiritual.

🧵 Textiles and Treasures from the Market

Of course, I couldn’t resist a trip to the fabric shops in Playa del Carmen! 🛍️ The colors and the weaving of the local Mexican fabrics are absolutely amazing. I also saw many Mexican blankets; while they aren’t as tightly woven as some of the finer fabrics, they are beautiful and serve such a wonderful purpose in the local culture. 🧣

✨ Fran’s Final Thoughts

No matter where you go in the world, I really encourage you to get involved and see how people make things. Understanding how history falls into the “crafting part” of a culture makes your vacation so much more enjoyable! 🌍💖

I’ve been a bit quiet these first two weeks of the month while I was away, but I’ll be making up for it with plenty of new postings in the next two weeks.

Thanks for joining me on my crafting journey! See you later, friends! 👋✨

Watch the full adventure here: Crafting Mexico’s Vibrant Culture