Thursday, September 29, 2011

alcatraz

Yesterday I learned that the word "alcatraz" is the word not only for a famous island prison near San Francisco, but for "Calla lily" in Spanish. It turns out that the Calla lily is an important symbol in Mexican culture, that they are used when someone passes away, for funerals and whatnot. I had no idea how often these lilies are featured in Mexican arts and crafts, but a quick review of the paintings of Diego Rivera and Frieda Khalo reveals LOTS of them... The same day that I learned this, I had lunch at a favorite Mexican restaurant, and everywhere I looked there were Calla lilies or "alcatraz".

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