I'd ask to be a pirate. Yaaarrr!

i wonder how close this is to the mummy worship of the inca. unlike egyptians and others, the inca used to keep their mummified nobles around and acted as though they were still alive. Priests were assigned to "speak for" or convey the thoughts of the mummified nobles. i guess it was kind of like weekend at Bernie's in some ways. apparently since these people never "really died", their children didn't get to inherit their lands or palaces. the priests basically got to stay in the homes of dead nobles to tend to them (which i would think its a much, much sweeter deal than being killed and buried to join a mummified ruler in the afterlife). this whole cult was apparently a driving force for expanding the empire, since new rulers needed new lands because their dead parents and grandparents still had some form of ownership over their old palaces and territories.

Syncretic indigenous religious practices, how do they work?

Murray: I am a powerful demonic force! I am the harbinger of your doom! And the forces of darkness will applaud me as I STRIDE through the gates of hell carrying your head on a pike!
Guybrush Threepwood: 'Stride?'
Murray: All right then, 'ROLL! ROLL through the gates of hell.' Must you take the fun out of everything?
Guybrush Threepwood: You're about as fearsome as a doorstop.
Murray: Is it a really EVIL-looking doorstop?

Sybarite: I'd ask to be a pirate. Yaaarrr!

Too bad; I hear they found the skull of Helen of Troy and are using it for the baudy puppet show this year. I guess, I could take one for the team.

Who wants to buy cheap Chinese skull knock-offs every year?

It's hard to wear sunglasses when you have no ears.

FTA: "Bolivia's archbishop criticised the 'Day of the Skulls' the five years ago, saying it distorted the Catholic faith."

This made me laugh.

Bongo Blue: Who wants to buy cheap Chinese skull knock-offs every year?

Excellent point. It seems the Bolivians are ahead of the curve with their green movement.

/ now you'll excuse me while I go have a brown movement

I spent a summer in La Paz and Santa Cruz when I was a teenager, it's a pretty cool place. All the locals are still very connected with their dead families, and go to a lot of effort to honor them in various ways. Other than the ridiculously large spiders and niguas, these nasty little worms that burrow into your toes and lay eggs, it was a lovely place, and most everyone was kind and appreciative for any help they were given.

JFarker131: Other than the ridiculously large spiders and niguas, these nasty little worms that burrow into your toes and lay eggs

nasty little worms that burrow into your toes and lay eggs

nasty little worms that burrow into your toes and lay eggs

nasty little worms that burrow into your toes and lay eggs

Niguas, please.

Nina9: FTA: "Bolivia's archbishop criticised the 'Day of the Skulls' the five years ago, saying it distorted the Catholic faith."

This made me laugh.

farkin bead jigglers, always trying to spoil the fun.

I'm cool with this, look what we do with our old dead people...we elect them to congress!

Offer them cigarettes? Don't they know smoking causes cancer? WTF!

Approves:

I would imagine that within the cultural context this both both quite comforting and humbling.

They do look happy about it.

That's what happens when you live ten years alone in Bolivia. You get colorful.