just Home connecting the dots. www.welcomehomergv.com We’re • • • Welcome WINTER TEXAN • • • March 16, 20
We’re just connecting th
VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 4 • November 1, 2023 VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 22 • March 16, 2022
• • • your official connection to the rio grande valley • • •
hellohello from kristi
FROM K R IS TI
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And just like Winter Texan season that, this ishas theofficiallast Welcome Home
ly started! Winter Although we all Texan of know the season! It has that, unofficially, can start as been ait wonderful winter, and we early as September--or some,it with you! have enjoyedfor sharing it’s business as usual--Converted Texan seasonI’dlasts year-round. like to take this opportunity to November 1 alsoyou brings witharound, it invite to stick to extend a celebration that many of you your stay for a few days, weeks, may be familiar with: or Diaeven de los months... indefinitely! The Muertos or fun Daykeeps of thecoming; Dead. we If keep dancing, you’re not familiar with having it, it’s fun a all summer dining, and celebration long, of those we’ve loved and we’d love to have you join and lost. The us.celebration is widely recognized in the Mexican culture, and being so close to the border, If youoffeel you must go, I’d like to it’s a holiday many us celebrate. invite you toishelp usin spread the word Dia de los Muertos rich about South Texas to history and tradition, honoring everyone you meetwith alongaltars the wayand and those Storyyou and see photos by Eryn Reddell Wingert the departed every day back home. Invite them to celebrations, graveside visits, and joinofyou next season! lots and lots marigolds. WeWe would love to have them joinyears us. The more the had the opportunity several ago to takemerrier! a group of activity directors to visit Mexico City for ThisI’ve September, we will host our the celebration. never seen second, soflowers, annual (thanks the Reddell Wingert anything quite like it!not The Story to by Eryn in the three-day event--the most visible, a 64-foot pandemic), Winter Texan Reunion the altars, the six-foot-tall sugar t’s a colorful time of year in South Texas. Bougainvilleas Christmas tree with a digital display and an illuminated so we’d like to invite you skulls. I wasTour, in awe of it also all. It’s are in Stay bloom, birds and butterflies are migrating, and Dia calavera (painted skull) topper. join us attrip, oneand of our definitely a to bucket-list I stops. While Dia de los Muertos is steeped in thousands de Muertos celebrations are plentiful. tuned as we announce ourlostravel encourage you to think about it for of years of Mesoamerican, Aztec, and Mexica culture, Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a more next year. plans. Specialskulls to Welcome RGV were only injected as symbols in the and Home skeletons We love sharing our Rio Grande positive take on death. Celebrated in Mexico and com20th century. The most notable, La Catrina, depicts a Valley-- and allItof ourbeen customs has a realand pleasure to serve November 1 and 2, the holiday pays homaget seems memorated like only yesterday we skeletal woman wearing a large hat adorned with flowers. traditions—with allyear. of you. You you this We will work throughout to the dead, celebrating the belief that life continues were celebrating theLalong-awaited The original Catrina is a remnant of an early 1900 might even the think about building summer months on after all ofdeath. our return of so many of by ourprintmaker friends. Jose Guadalupe Posada an altar to celebrate thosesoinnext your seasonInwill political etching programming be the weeks leading up to Day of the Dead, cities, Now, here we are bidding youthe Posada Art Foundation community you’ve lost. even better than this one! schools and museums across the Rio Grande Valley of Mexico City. According to farewell and safe travels. All ofmonths before his death. website, he created her mere commemorate the holiday with festivals, exhibits, and ~We’re just connecting the Y’all! dots. •• Safe travels, Posada’s skull and skeleton etchings were created as us at Welcome Home RGV look artistic expressions. political satire, driving home the message: in the end, forward to your return. Plans are McAllen’s recent Fiesta de Palmas, a centennial We’re just connecting the dots, we are all equal. celebration turned cultural and historical festival, incorFAREWELL WINTER TEXAN SEASON CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 >> porated Day of the Dead performances and symbolism
Dia de los Muertos: A Vibrant Celebration of Life
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