Día de los Muertos in New Orleans
by Tod Seelie
New Orleans is a land of its own norms, logic, and way of being in the world. Its unique ways of celebrating, grieving, and building a culture around holidays and the accompanying costume culture set it far apart from anywhere else in the US.
Over the ten years I spent visiting once or twice a year, usually for about a month at a time, I had the great fortune to experience a lot of the culture created by artists and punks across the city. The Dia de los Muertos parade and Viking funeral were among the more memorable events.
Magical and intoxicating, New Orleans is a place of great joy and light—and of great darkness. The city is no stranger to extremes and contrast. Coming together in personal and shared grief with friends and strangers creates a connection, catharsis, and release. These photos just scratch the surface of the community, ritual, and intensity of what I witnessed.
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