What does Día de los Muertos mean and what is its history?
Día de los Muertos translates from Spanish to English as Day of the Dead. Here in the USA, we mourn our loved ones when they pass with funeral services and wearing dark solemn clothing. It is usually a sad time in our families when we have to say goodbye to grandpa forever. Different cultures grieve and treat death differently with traditions that have been around for centuries. One culture that has created a unique and interesting way to face death and the deceased is Mexico. Mexico is colorful, noisy, and lots of fun. The people, the food, and the celebrations are bright, loud, and unequaled. So when it comes to death, in true Mexican style, Mexicans celebrate with color, food, and music.
Day of the Dead is a 2-day celebration where it is believed that the passageway between the real world and the spirit world is open so our deceased loved ones can come back to visit us. What do we do when grandpa comes back from the land of the dead? We make his favorite meal and we offer him his favorite drink. We sing, dance, and rejoice before he heads back to the underworld for another year. The modern holiday is a syncretic blend of ancient Aztec rituals that celebrated ancestors and the Catholic observances of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, introduced by the Spanish. The ancient Aztecs dedicated an entire month to the goddess Miccaihuitl and made offerings to honor the dead.
What are some of the traditions associated with Día de los Muertos?
Traditions include:
Ofrendas (Altars): Families build private altars decorated with marigold flowers candles, and photos of the deceased to encourage the spirits to visit. The Aztecs used to offer water and food to the deceased to help them on their journey to the land of the dead. Now, Mexican families set up beautifully decorated altars in their homes and place photos of the loved ones they have lost along with other items. The ofrendas usually consist of water, the loved one’s favorite food and drink items, marigold flowers candles, bread, and photos of the deceased.
Marigolds (cempasuchil): Marigolds are used during Dia de Muertos celebrations by being placed on the altars and on the burial sites. The Marigold flower is thought to guide the spirits back with their intense color and pungent smell.
Offerings: Favorite foods and beverages of the deceased are placed on the ofrenda so the spirits can enjoy their “spiritual essence”. Pan de Muertos, or day of the dead bread, is an essential part of the festivities and is also placed on the altars. Sugar Skulls are enjoyed by the young and old during this time also. Mole, tamales, pozole, and sopa azteca are prepared by families with the recipes being passed on from generation to generation.
Calaveras (Skulls): A common symbol, represented by sugar or chocolate skulls, masks, and colorful decorations. Skulls are a huge part of the holiday. Skulls were used during rituals in the Aztec era and passed on as trophies during battles. Today, small decorated sugar skulls are placed on the altars. There is nothing grim about these skulls. They are decorated with colorful edible paint, glitter, beads, and sport huge smiles.
La Catrina (Skeletons): In the beginning of the 19th century when cartoonist and social activist José Guadalupe Posada drew La Catrina to protest the Mexican people’s desire to look more European. La Catrina has become one of the biggest symbols of Day of the Dead with people painting their faces with skulls and flowers. These dapper skeletons figure have s become an iconic symbol of the holiday.
Papel picado: Perforated paper that is an integral part of Mexican culture. The art comes from the Aztec tradition of chiseling spirit figures on wood. It is used during Day of the Dead celebrations by stringing them on the altars and in the streets. Ofrendas showcase fire, water, earth, and air. Papel picados represent air on the altar.
Graveside Vigils: In some regions, families visit cemeteries to clean gravestones, have picnics, and spend the night keeping vigil.
