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6 Ways to Celebrate the Day of the Dead

The Mexican Holiday, Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is becoming more and more popular around the world. The Day of the Dead is typically celebrated on November 1 and 2, just after Halloween in the United States. Day of the Dead costumes and decorations can now be found in most stores mixed right in with Halloween costumes. So before the 2 holidays blur any further, let’s take a look at what the Day of the Dead celebration is all about.

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Halloween vs. Day of the Dead

In the U.S, we are used to spooky graveyards, where unsettled spirits haunt anyone who comes near. But in most cultures, people celebrate the dead in a more positive light. In fact, even in the U.S. during Victorian times, most families spent their Sundays in cemeteries picnicking near the graves of their loved ones. That’s why so many cemeteries are designed with park-like surroundings.

The Day of the Dead is a positive celebration, a way to honor ancestors. Día de Muertos is hundreds of years old, with its origins most likely coming from Aztec ritual. It is believed that once a year, ancestors come back for 2 days to spend time with their families. To honor their presence, people decorate their ancestors’ graves, build beautiful altars in their honor and cook their favorite foods. Celebrations also include parties and parades. The Day of the Dead is a holiday that is colorful in every way!

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How to Celebrate the Day of the Dead

Want to get into the spirit of the Day of the Dead and honor your ancestors? Here is how to get your Día de Muertos celebrations started:

1. Put Together a Colorful Day of the Dead Altar (Ofrenda)

In Mexico, people usually decorate family gravesites and often create an altar, or ofrenda, in their homes to honor their ancestors. Altars like the one in the photo above can be elaborate works of art or simple and very personal. Start by finding a location in your home for your altar, such as a corner table, desk or fireplace mantle. Add a colorful tablecloth or table runner. Next, add photos of the person or people you want to honor. To get into the Mexican Spirit, you may want to place your photos in beautifully crafted tile frames like these. Then place personal items that were owned by your relatives in their lifetime on the altar. Or use items that make you think of your family members.

Next, place Day of the Dead decorations like marigolds, skull figures and paper banners on your altar. We will discuss how to make these items or where to buy them below. Some people also add their ancestors’ favorite foods and drinks to their altar to encourage their spirits to stay near. And finally, candles and incense make great additions to your altar.

If you have more time to be crafty, check out the directions for making this Day of the Dead Carved Pumpkin Altar at Michael’s. The altar is made out of the fake carvable pumpkins, so you can use the altar year after year. Or if you enjoy getting a bit messy with pumpkin guts and/or paint, you can use real pumpkins and create a perishable masterpiece.

2. Decorate with Paper Banners (Papel Picado)

Papel Picado, or specially cut Mexican paper banners, are a festive way to celebrate the Day of the Dead. Traditionally Papel Picado are intricately created by Mexican artists. With a little bit of practice, simple paper banners are easy to make. You can also find free printables such as this one from LiveColorful.com. Make sure to have bright colored paper on hand or markers to color in the designs.

Want to purchase Papel Picado for your altar or Day of the Dead party? Affordable paper or plastic banners are available on Amazon.com in a variety of sizes and colors.

Day of the Dead Marigold Flowers and Petals

3. Celebrate with Marigolds (Cempasúchiles)

Look how gorgeous this fountain looks decked out in orange Marigold flowers and petals. Marigolds, or Cempasúchiles, are the main flower used in decorating for Day of the Dead. You can grow your own to add to your altar, though beware, Marigolds have a very strong odor if you are using them indoors. Many people also use paper Marigolds. You can purchase paper Marigolds in orange and yellow from a party supplier.

Paper Marigolds are also really easy to make. We like the directions on this tutorial from Tinkerlab.com.

4. Decorate with Sugar Skulls (Calaveras)

Sugar Skulls, known as calaveras in Spanish, have become an essential part of Day of the Dead celebrations. Decorated skulls, literally made out of pressed sugar, are placed on altars to represent the ancestors being honored. Of course, you can now find Day of the Dead skulls made in all sorts of materials which are fun to collect. Check out these Sugar Skulls to get your collection started.

If you are interested to making real sugar skulls, we suggest using the directions and sugar molds from MexicanSugarSkulls.com.

We also love this do-it-yourself sugar skull painting kit, which makes a great gift.

5. Dress to Impress (Disfraces)

Day of the Dead is your opportunity to dress up in stylish skeleton costumes, or disfraces. Check out these great costumes for men and women at Amazon.com. Many qualify for 2-Day Shipping with your Amazon Prime membership. And don’t forget to pick up a Day of the Dead makeup kit.

If you know how to sew, Simplicity offers a beautiful sewing pattern for DIY Women’s Day of the Dead costumes.

6. Host a Traditional Day of the Dead Party Instead of a Halloween Party (Día de la fiesta de muertos)

Hosting a Day of the Dead party, known as Día de la fiesta de muertos in Spanish, is both fun and educational for your guests. You can find lots of fun Day of the Dead party supplies at your favorite retailer or make your own.

Encourage your guests to come dressed as Day of the Dead skeletons. Ask guests to bring photos and favorite mementos to honor their ancestors. Create a community Day of the Dead altar and ask guests to add their mementos to it. Ask your guests to share stories about the relatives they are honoring. Explain the traditions on the Day of the Dead and encourage guests to take part in activities such as painting or carving sugar skulls on pumpkins, face painting and making paper marigolds. Serve popular Day of the Dead treats and drinks. Here are some great recipes to get you started.

More than anything, surround yourself with colors and enjoy this very festive holiday in a way your ancestors would appreciate!

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How to Get into the Steampunk Style Craze

by BravelyBohemian

A few years ago, we received a call from an old friend asking my husband and me to be in a Steampunk fashion show. I quickly made a face and said, “A Steam what now?!”

Al is a huge sci-fi junkie, so he was a little more up on the Steampunk movement than I was. He told me to go read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne and watch the Sherlock movies to understand Steampunk style. AND he said this was an excuse to wear Victorian costumes. DONE! I was a go.

What is Steampunk?
Steampunk is a creative alternative reality stemming from the Victorian era when steam engines were powering much of the industrial world. What if electricity was never developed and steam power continued to dominate? What would our daily reality be like? Then add in some extra science fiction, Hollywood effects, cosplay adventure and over-the-top costumes and you’ve got the Steampunk genre down.

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Here are some hints for getting started in Steampunk:

1. Join a local Steampunk Club
Most communities have Steampunk social clubs or have Cosplay or Science Fiction groups that have Steampunk members. Our group (called Temporal Entities of Syracuse or TEOS) was originally a Dr. Who Club that spun off in the steampunk direction. Many groups have events such as monthly dinner gatherings (in costume), a yearly steampunk ball, gear swap weekends, dates to work on costumes, parades, fashion shows, conventions and Victorian street festivals.

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2. Connect Online
There are tremendous forums, websites, Facebook groups where you can virtually connect with other Steampunkers. There are tons of tutorials to help you create your costumes, accessories, and characters. Pinning ideas on Pinterest is a great way to also get ideas.

3. Develop Your Steampunk Character
Do you have a favorite character in literature or the movies? Or a historical person you admire? With some ingenuity, almost any character can be “steampunked.” Or start by researching Victorian-era costumes, plus the culture of the 1880s in Europe or in the U.S. What scientific and industrial advancements were taking place? What political issues were occurring at the time? Start with a person and then develop a story around them. Who are they? What’s their personality like? What do they do for a living? What do they struggle with? What inspires them?

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4. Visit Your Local Thrift Shop
The thrift shop is a great place to start to put together your first Steampunk costume. While ready-made Steampunk Halloween costumes are available and great if you need an outfit on short notice, most Steampunkers like to create their own unique style.

For men, look for striped or corduroy pants, collarless dress shirts, vests, boots, and sports coats you can doctor. Also look for leather coats and bomber jackets.

For Women, look for long flowing skirts, Victorian-style blouses with high necks and puffy sleeves, flowing gypsy-style blouses, tight-fitting tops with corset seams, vests, boots and leather coats.

For both, look for belts, jewelry and leather handbags that can be repurposed as Steampunk accessories. You may want to check the knickknack and electronics sections for items you can also repurpose such as small glass bottles, wood boxes, old clocks with gears, etc.

5. Purchase Steampunk Accessory Essentials

It is worth the money to purchase certain essential parts of your Steampunk costume. These include a quality wool top hat or derby hat, goggles, leather gloves and comfortable boots if you plan to go to a lot of events or conventions. Women may want to invest in a quality made corset and men may want to invest in a proper waistcoat or tailcoat.

6. Get Out Your Sewing Machine and Glue Gun
Simplicity and McCall’s have produced several great Steampunk costume sewing patterns for men and women if you want to make a costume from scratch. If you don’t sew, then you may want to go the thrift shop route or make fast friends with someone in your club who can help you. If you are willing to invest, many talented artists sell elaborate Steampunk costumes and accessories on Etsy. Also check eBay and Amazon regularly for Steampunk related items. As a Steampunker, you will find there are many things you can make for your character. Besides a sewing machine, antiquing paint and your glue gun may become your favorite go-to tools!

7. Have Fun!
Steampunk is all about an imagined alternate reality. There is no right or wrong. Keep evolving your character and your Steampunk costume will evolve as well. Fully embrace your character when in costume and remember to take photos!

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Our Boho Wedding (Including Elephants)

by BravelyBohemian

Have you ever attended a boho wedding?

My husband, Al, and I have been married 14 years now, yet people still talk about our wedding. We are known to do our own thing, so a standard wedding and wedding venue did not appeal to us. Looking back, ours was a very Bohemian wedding, though that wasn’t a trendy word back then. Why?

We had a zoo wedding. Not as in our wedding was a zoo. Our wedding was at a zoo. And yes, it included live elephants!

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The Plan

Because we are from different spiritual backgrounds, plus we love being in nature, we decided right away that we wanted an outdoor wedding and rustic venue. We looked at numerous parks throughout Central New York. Then looking up wedding location phone numbers I stumbled across a listing for our local zoo. The thought of getting married at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo made me laugh and I was immediately intrigued.

When you have an outdoor boho wedding and reception, it is really important to come up with a Rain Plan. We live outside of Syracuse, NY near Lake Ontario. Our weather can be very quirky here. The folks at the zoo informed us that they were just building a new entrance with a green events facility. We met with the staff, toured the zoo, inside and out, and knew we had the perfect place for a boho wedding. We literally signed onto blueprints. We also crossed our fingers that our guests would not be arriving to a huge pile of dirt the following year.

So Plan A was to have a fabulous outdoor wedding and reception. Plan B, the Rain Plan, was to use the new lobby and green reception area. So here’s how it all went down:

The Wedding

Thankfully, we had an amazing July evening wedding with gorgeous weather! The zoo closed at 4:30, so we scheduled our wedding for 6 pm. That meant an all-hands-on-deck just over an “hour of power” to clean the place, set up, decorate, get ready, greet guests and be ready to roll with the ceremony. Phew! It was tight! After directing a lot of decorating traffic I got into my wedding dress at about ten of.

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As our guests arrived, they were greeted at the door by a zookeeper and a talking parrot the zoo uses for education. Then guests were led through double doors into the courtyard. We had a short ceremony in front of the courtyard flamingo pond. And then the celebration truly began!

The Cocktail Hour

During our cocktail hour, we encouraged our guests to grab a drink and wander about the zoo. We rented the whole zoo just for our guests. Many of the animals are nocturnal, so they become most active after the zoo closes. And they know when it’s their dinner time. While the animals were being fed by the keepers, we also had roaming waiters greeting our guests with hors-d’oeuvres and drinks on the various zoo trails.

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We used the cocktail hour to have our photos taken about the zoo. We also paid to have the elephants and keepers present for fence time. Our guests could get up close and personal with elephants Siri and Romini and get their photos taken. Their keeper was keeping them amused by feeding them jelly beans, though Siri thought my bouquet looked like the best treat.

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The Reception

After the cocktail hour, we all met back in the courtyard for dinner and dancing under the stars. We had a wonderful live Big Band playing at the gazebo. As it got dark, zoo volunteers lit hundreds of votive candles throughout the courtyard. The candle effect was so beautiful! We topped the night off by slicing into our 3-tiered elephant iced wedding cake which sat on top of a Raymond Waites elephant cake stand.

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Our boho wedding was definitely original. It was win-win-win for everyone. People talk about the event to this day. They often comment that ours was one of the most fun weddings they have ever been to. The Rosamond Gifford Zoo used our wedding experience and photos for years to market their green facilities. And we not only had a great time throwing a fabulous party “our way” but the money we paid for the reception went to helping the zoo and the endangered animals they care for.

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The Honeymoon

P.S. We had a unique honeymoon as well. We took several weeks to travel about 3,000 miles through Alberta, Canada, visiting Calgary, Banff National Park, Lake Louise, Jasper National Park, Edmonton and the Canadian Badlands where I signed us up for a dinosaur dig. As a wedding gift, the staff at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo arranged a behind-the-scenes day for us at the Calgary Zoo. What an amazing trip for nature and animal lovers!

We hope our unique boho wedding inspires you to think out-of-the-box when planning your wedding. Take a look at the Adventuring section on this blog to see what other fun we’ve gotten into since getting married.

Awesome Boho Backpacks Perfect for Back to School

by BravelyBohemian

It’s that time of year: Time to send the kids back to school. What better way to make your children feel special than to send them off with colorful, inspiring, boho backpacks? Even big brands like Jansport, Kipling and The North Face offer boho and tribal designs this year. Other retailers are offering imported and fair-trade bags for a great unique bohemian look. Check out some of our favorite boho backpacks here:

This Elephant Backpack by InterestPrint is by far our favorite boho backpacks! The black and white henna style elephant makes a real statement over the bright green and blue terrestrial background. InterestPrint offers several other bright boho prints as well. Click on the link to see more options.

Bright embroidery sets off this wonderful imported boho backpack. Any teen or college student looking to stand out in a crowd would love this style. Various sizes and patterns are available starting around $18.00.

VANS is a brand known for its edgy skater personality, humor and retro style. We love their Old Skool line of backpacks, hats and sneakers. Check out the VW bus print all over this Vans of the World backpack. Takes me back to my college years when we did actually bum around in a VW bus!

Jansport backpacks are known for their durability and are one of the brands that hold up under the weight of school books and laptops. Jansport has some great boho and tribal designs for 2016 Back to School and most ship quickly with Amazon Prime. Shown here is the Trans by Jansport design in Navy Moonshine.

Looking for a casual backpack? Consider this Crossbody bag by Slope. Crossbody sling backpacks are stylish and comfortable.

Worth every penny, The North Face is another backpack brand that will hold up under the weight of books and laptops. We like the look of this Vault Native Frequencies design in white, blue and coral.

I own several Kipling bags and again, they are worth the money! Kipling bags are designed in heavy duty nylon, so they are super lightweight, durable and perfect for school or travel. We recommend the Ravier line of backpacks. This one is called “Brightside Sky” which makes my boho spirit very happy!

Last but not least, boho style is never complete without some great fringe. While maybe not so practical, fringed backpacks are very hip this year. We love this affordable blue backpack by TrendsGal.

Happy shopping and have a very boho school year!

10 Must Own Spring 2016 In Color Fashion Inspirations

by BravelyBohemian

Ever wonder why all the stores carry similar colored clothes and accessories each season? Did you know the design industry actually helps decide what the newest in color fashion inspirations are going to influence any given season? The Pantone Color Institute actually has the final say and issues a report twice a year with the new trending colors.

Here are the 2016 Spring Colors. Below, check out examples of must-own boho clothing and accessories trending in these in color fashion shades. Happy shopping!

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