terlingua, día de los muertos

These are a few mages from the Terlingua Ghost Town Day of the Dead celebration, 2013. Día de los Muertos is said to be the time when the veil between worlds is thinnest, allowing the dead to return to us, albeit briefly. Hence, the celebrations that offer the dead their favorite food, drink and mementos as an invitation to visit with us for a night.

The November event in the Terlingua Ghost Town, situated right by Big Bend National Park in West Texas, draws residents and visitors alike. Beneath the face paint and costumes is an authentic reverence for the dead, and for what their lives meant to us.

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A walk through the cemetery

After being photographed, the couple takes a walk through the cemetery where the setting sun forces long shadows across the desert floor.

Death mask and flowers

Residents attending the Terlingua Ghost Town's Day of the Dead celebration sometimes dress for the occasion by painting their faces to resemble skulls.

Posing for a photo

As sundown approaches a visitor snaps a shot of a happy couple at the center of the Terlingua Ghost Town Day of the Dead celebration.

Happy Couple

The celebrated couple at Terlingua Ghost Town's Day of the Dead celebration in 2013. They were much in demand for photos.

Another snapshot

And another visitor poses for a photo with the happy couple.

Candles at dusk

As dusk falls at the Terlingua Ghost Town cemetery, those celebrating the dead on Día de los Muertos become silhouettes outlined against the sky. At this moment it seems the arrival of the dead is imminent.

Shadow candle

Thanks to the work of volunteers, candles adorn every gravesite at the Terlingua Ghost Town cemetery. Nestled in everything from votive holders to old pickle jars, their flickers illume the resting places of the dead and toss small shadows across stone and sand.

Altar for the dead

The altar beckons the dead back with flowers, fake skulls, rosaries, even a favorite pair of shoes, as well as candles to light the way.

Souls rising

The magic moment as night falls this Día de los Muertos: the cemetery crosses seem to reach for the Milky Way and its stars, with the living as witnesses. In one instant and one place, all worlds seem to become one.