Halloween in Mexico

   It was really like any other Halloween party - the devil and his angel girlfriend, a few witches, a Batman, his belly straining against his belt, a princess, and Abe Lincoln (from Salem, OR).  What set this party apart was the salsa/duranguense/merenge dancing (the men could really hold their own!), the tickets (70 pesos) to get in, the michealadas (beer with lime juice and salt) and the  unfinished "finca" (a large house with land - in this case, a large front yard).   People are ingenious in figuring out ways to make money here, and throwing a party is just one of the many, many methods used.  I had no idea Halloween had become so popular in Mexico - some people are concerned about its growing influence, and it's true that I have seen altars for the Día de los Muertos decorated with orange and black cats and pumpkins.  But in a city like Cuernavaca, where almost 90% of the people I talk to have been to the US, it will be impossible to keep all US culture at bay.  If anything, I think I'm glad to recognize that the US even has some culture to export - and of course, anybody likes an excuse to party.  How do you think the US ended up celebrating a small town's win in a battle against the French on May 5th?