Day of the Dead: Kai's Altar

(This is my Art Everyday Month #3 entry on my photoblog, Photos for Kai. I thought I'd post it here as well.)

My husband and I set up Kai's altar for the Day of the Dead celebration in San Francisco yesterday. It was in a small public park. When we got there, several altars were already set up - big and small. We were lucky to get a space under a lamp post. We didn't bring enough candles in containers. I'm glad the organizer let us use it since she said they were reserving it for a big group. We were there from late afternoon until 11pm. I got a chance to walk around the park and saw the different altars. They were all so beautiful, a fitting tribute to loved ones gone too soon. The crowd of onlookers was huge. A lot of people looked at Kai's altar, yes, even pregnant women and parents with strollered babies. It was a surreal experience. Children were particularly attracted to his altar - they liked the stuffed toys and the decorated calaveras. They left candies and chocolates. While adults left flowers. My husband and I sat a little bit aways and observed them quietly like parents letting their child have his moment in the spotlight. We smiled back when visitors looked at us with gentle eyes. A nice gentleman voice his compliment to us, "It's a beautiful altar." Another lady said: "It's such a sweet tribute to your son." And we felt proud. We went home amid the crowd still gathered in the park. For some reason, it felt good to have shown our loss and our grief for our son in public. It told the world Kai was here, that he once lived, and that he is forever loved and missed.