ALL SOULS PROCESSION

One of the most important portions of the entire event is the burning of the urn. This year’s was made by Creative Machines, a local Tucson shop. It was comprised of 60 interlocking decorative metal panels and weighed 500 pounds. It was stunning. The purpose of the urn is to be filled with offerings, prayers, wishes both for the dead and living. The urn is pulled along the processional route by a horned god (well, a guy dressed up at a horned god) and accompanied by a contingent of people swathed in silver (well, this year they were in silver). As they move down the processional route they collect the papers from participants and bystanders and add them to the urn. During the finale the urn is hoisted to the top of a tower (this year, in past years it was suspended from a crane) and set on fire. Burning the wishes and sending them to the dead while being a guiding light to the deceased.