CELEBRATE DAY OF THE DEAD!
On the Day of the Dead, the boundaries between
life and death begin to blur. Men, women and
children of all ages honor and celebrate their
loved ones who have passed away, participating
joyously in a festival that has roots nearly 4000
years old.
Day of the Dead, called Dia de los Muertos in
Spanish, is a Mexican holiday that falls on
November 1 and 2 of each year. This holiday has
spread in recent years from Mexico to America
and beyond. It is now celebrated by Mexicans,
Mexican-Americans, and countless others around
the globe who feel a deep kinship with these two
special days that honor the dead.
Why celebrate Day of the Dead with your
family and children?
By celebrating Day of the Dead we teach our
children that our loved ones live in our memories after death. We bring
death out of the shadows and show our children that the cycle of life is
something to be celebrated and not feared. By remembering our loved ones
in this ritualized way, we transcend the pain of loss and nurture our happy
memories of our departed loved ones. You may want to remember beloved
departed pets as well as humans as these may be your children’s first
experiences with death and our bond with our animal family members may
be strong and deep. Celebrating Day of the Dead with our children is a way
to deepen our family bonds and traditions.
Why is Dia de los Muertos such a fascinating holiday?
Foremost, Dia de los Muertos is a time of celebration. Although losing
someone is undeniably a somber and life-changing event, Dia de los Muertos
provides people with the opportunity to rejoice in the living memories of
their loved ones. According to Aztec beliefs, if you cry for someone who's
passed, they may slip and fall on your tears. The Dias de los Muertos serve
as a positive affirmation of the cycle of life and death, allowing people to
reconnect with the spirits of their loved ones on the Other Side.
Dia de los Muertos occurs on many levels:
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as a personal experience
a family event
a social gathering
and a community celebration.
We were all born and one day we will all die, a concept that Dia de los
Muertos helps us acknowledge and internalize, so that we may live our lives
with more awareness and meaning.
Dia de los Muertos expresses the beauty and mystery of life and death. For
many, it is a time of partying and celebration; for others, it is a time of
introspection. At its most potent, it is a balanced blend of the two.
Although it originated in Mexico, Dia de los Muertos is now celebrated in
many different parts of the world. This special holiday is colored and altered
by the unique traditions and flavors of each city, region and country where it
is celebrated as other cultures mix, blend, and adapt Day of the Dead rituals
to make the holiday their own yet the meaning stays the same.
DAY OF THE DEAD TRADITIONS
Common Day of the Dead traditions include creating altars to honor the dead, laying
out offerings, sharing stories of the deceased, as well as cleaning and decorating
gravesites. Because Day of the Dead is a very festive, creative holiday, current Day of
the Dead customs also include festivals, parades, and the making of Dia de los Muertos
crafts.
The key purpose behind these Day of the Dead customs
is to make contact with the spirits of the dead, to let them know that they
are not forgotten and that their loved ones on earth still care about them. It
is a way of keeping the connection between loved ones alive, though they
may be physically separated by death.
Day of the Dead traditions can vary from town to town, with each
community embracing their own unique blend of rituals, customs, and
celebrations. Although the Day of the Dead customs in a small village in
Mexico may differ from the Day of the Dead customs in a large American city
but there are still several common Day of the Dead traditions that are
carried out no matter what the location.
Here are the most common and important Day of the Dead traditions:
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Creating an altar with offerings (known as ofrenda)
Visiting, cleaning, and decorating gravesites
Telling stories about the deceased
Making food for the deceased, to be placed on altars
Making or buying sugar skulls and pan de muerto
Day of the Dead altars Creating Day of the Dead altars is one of
the most important Day of the Dead traditions. Day of the Dead altars are
typically created inside people's homes to honor the spirits of their deceased
loved ones. When Dia de los Muertos is embraced by the community, nonsecular altars are also created in schools, government offices, and other
community spaces. Day of the Dead altars are set up on the two days
leading up to Dia de los Muertos. Altars contain "offerings" for the dead,
known as ofrenda. These include items such as:
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candles
fresh flowers or flowers petals (usually marigolds)
photographs of the deceased, along with other memorabilia
the favorite foods and drinks of the deceased (lovingly-prepared)
incense
water
sugar skulls
pan de muerto (bread of the dead)
statues of saints
other items
Decorating Gravesites
On the Day of the Dead, many families will
congregate in graveyards to clean the graves of
their loved ones who have passed. They decorate
the graves with Mexican marigolds called
cempasúchil, often lovingly arranged into huge
arches. The arches and graves are adorned with
photos, mementos and gifts, such as the dead
person's favorite foods and drinks. These gifts, or
offerings, are meant to attract the dead, helping
them find their way back to their loved ones on
earth. The burning candles and scent of copal
incense also help guide the departed back to
earth.
The tradition of grave-cleaning on Dia de los
Muertos takes on a festive air. Graveyard picnics
are common as people interact with the spirits of
the deceased as if they were still alive. These
graveyard visits often turn into all-night vigils
with candlelit ceremonies and hired bands to play the favorite music of the
dead.
The event becomes a social gathering marked by a combination of festivity
and introspection, as everyone honors their dead loved ones, communicating
with their spirits while reflecting on their own mortality in the circle of life
and death.
Sharing Stories about the Deceased
Part of honoring the dead is to tell stories about them, such as funny
anecdotes or poems that poke fun at their quirks (known as calaveras). It is
believed that the dead do not want to be thought of in a sad or somber
manner - they want to be remembered and celebrated, since they are still
alive just in another form.
In Mexican culture, these stories form part of each family's oral tradition, as
tales of family members are passed on from generation to generation. It
keeps the family history alive.
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS ALTAR
Building a Dia de los Muertos altar is an important part of celebrating Mexico's most
famous holiday, Day of the Dead. Traditionally, families will build altars in their homes
during the weeks leading up to November 1st, as a way to celebrate and remember loved
ones who have passed to the other side.
These days, Day of the Dead altars are also created in libraries, museums and classrooms in
both Mexico and the United States, as a way of honoring Mexican traditions and
encouraging cross-cultural understanding.
CHOOSING A SPACE
Day of the Dead altars can be elaborate and expensive, or they can be relatively simple;
what matters is the act of honoring and remembering your lost loved ones.
You can build an altar on a table, desk, coffee table or on a stack of crates. The main thing
is that altars usually have multiple tiers which can be created using whatever materials or
objects you can find.
I covered the desk with a white sheet (somewhat crinkled from my closet) and created the
tiers by using some old boxes that were gathering dust in my garage. I then completed the
look by covering the boxes with a red blanket.
DECORATING YOUR ALTAR
There aren't any hard and fast rules when it comes to decorating a Dia de los Muertos altar.
The main idea is to decorate it in a way that honors the dead and reflects their character
and personality. As a result, every altar is different. Take the opportunity to be creative
and truly recreate the memory of your lost loved one. As they say, "it's the thought that
counts."
In the sections below I'll look at three types of things you can use to decorate your altar.
You can use
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Day of the Dead symbols,
objects related to or characteristic of the dead, and
offerings, like food and water, to nourish them after their trip from the afterlife.
DAY OF THE DEAD SYMBOLS
There are a range of Day of the Dead symbols that are meaningful to Mexicans and
visible everywhere in the weeks leading up to the Dias de los Muertos.
Because these symbols are tied to Mexican belief systems, you may not find them
meaningful yourself. That's okay, you don't need to use them. I included some of these
symbols in my altar because they represent important concepts (like a healthy appreciation
for death) and because they're colorful!
Marigolds (cempasuchitl in Spanish) are orange and yellow
flowers that symbolize death and help guide the dead back
to earth. They are so bright and vibrant that they look great
on an altar, regardless of what meaning they hold. You can
place them in vases or sprinkle their petals around the altar.
Marigolds are expensive to buy where I live, so I settled for
some artificial marigolds which I can also use next year. If
you're building a Dia de los Muertos altar for someone who
had a favorite type of flower, it would be perfect to decorate
their altar with that flower.
I also made some sugar skulls which are famous Day of
the Dead icons that symbolize death and the beyond.
They're given as gifts to the living or as offerings to the
dead, and have become worldwide symbols of Dia de Los
Muertos.
Skulls are sometimes tailored to an individual, either by a
physical resemblance or with their name on the forehead.
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Candles are frequently placed on altars because when lit they welcome spirits back to the
land of the living. On a more secular note, candles simply look cool at night.
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Candles welcome back the spirits and look cool at night.
Papel Picado (perforated paper) is a Mexican art form that can add some color to your
altar. It's made by hand-cutting simple or incredibly intricate designs into brightly-colored
tissue paper. I made the example below, and with just a little instruction you can also make
your own.
Other Day of the Dead symbols you can use are salt, which represents the continuance of
life, and incense, the scent of which helps guide the dead back from the afterlife.
OBJECTS RELATING TO THE DEAD
The main purpose of a Dia de los Muertos altar is to honor the dead and to help you
remember and appreciate their life. It's common, therefore, to decorate an altar with the
dead's former possessions and with objects that symbolize things they valued, owned or
found meaningful. Photos of the deceased are perhaps the most effective way to vividly
remember the dead.
You might also included lots of things the person enjoyed, like special foods or items
representing things they enjoyed – hobbies, etc.
OFFERINGS (OFRENDA)
Mexicans believe that during the Day of the Dead, the spirits
of the dead will return to earth to visit with their families.
It's a long hard journey from the afterlife back to earth, so
traditional Dia de los Muertos altars include nourishment
and refreshments for the returning souls. These items are
called "offerings" (ofrenda in Spanish).
You can start off by making sure they have water to drink.
My Dad loved soda, so in addition to a glass of water, I also
offered a bottle of cola for him to enjoy.
They'll also be hungry when they arrive, so food is
important. I baked some traditional Day of the Dead
Bread (pan de muerto in Spanish) which is a Mexican sweet
bread commonly decorated with colored icing. I also
included some of my Dad's favorite junk foods, like Oatmeal
Creme Pies, Sweet Sixteen Donuts, and M&Ms. He no longer
has a body, so now he can eat what he likes without
worrying!
It's okay if you want to eat some of these foods later, but Mexicans believe that they will be
devoid of taste and nutritional value because they have already nourished the spirit of the
dead.
The dead may also like some toiletries to freshen up, like a toothbrush, toothpaste, dental
floss, and some soap. You can include anything else the dead may have used a lot, like a
favorite hairbrush.
You can also include any possession or object the dead might like to use. For example, A
book the person liked to read.
Each altar will be as unique as the person creating it and the person it is built for.
If you're thinking of building a Dia de los Muertos altar but you have reservations about it
("What will other people think? Does it go against my religion?" Etc), just remember that
you don't have to embrace the Day of the Dead to build an altar. You don't need to believe
that the spirit of the dead will actually visit you (and require refreshments). You don't even
need to believe that there's an afterlife.
A Dia de los Muertos altar is like a shrine to your dead loved one, which is actually quite
common in households across the world, no matter what religion or beliefs people have.
Have you ever visited someone's house and noticed a shelf with pictures of their dead
relatives, perhaps surrounded by mementoes? That's basically the same concept as a Day of
the Dead altar - it's a way of honoring and remembering the dead. It is also a therapeutic
process as well, helping people feel a strong, healthy connection to the spirits of their dead
loved ones.
Whether simple or sophisticated, Day of the Dead altars and ofrenda all contain
certain basic elements in common. Here are the ofrendas that you will typically
see on a Dia de los Muertos altar:
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Candles - Candles are lit to welcome the spirits back to their altars.
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Marigolds - These yellow-orange flowers, also called cempasúchitl, symbolize death.
Their strong fragrance also help lead the dead back to their altars. Marigold petals
may also be sprinkled on the floor in front of the altar, or even sprinkled along a
path from the altar to the front door, so that the spirit may find her way inside.
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Incense - Most commonly, copal incense, which is the dried aromatic resin from a
tree native to Mexico. The scent is also said to guide the spirits back to their altars
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Salt - represents the continuance of life.
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Photo of the deceased - A framed photo of the dead person to whom the altar is
dedicated, usually positioned in a prime spot on the altar.
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Pan de muerto - Also known as "bread of the dead", pan de muerto is a symbol of
the departed.
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Sugar skulls - As symbols of death and the afterlife, sugar skulls are not only given
as gifts to the living during Day of the Dead, they are also placed as offerings on the
altar.
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Fresh fruit - whatever is in season – oranges, bananas, etc.
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Other foods - Traditional Day of the Dead foods that you would find on altars
include atole, mole, tamales, and tortillas. Altars also usually include the dead
person's favorite foods, including modern foods like Rice Krispies or potato chips!
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS HISTORY
To study Dia de los Muertos history is to step back in time 4000 years. These days we think
of Dia de los Muertos as a "Mexican holiday", but the origins of the Day of the Dead can
actually be traced back several millennia before Mexico even existed as a country.
The Spanish invaded Mexico in 1519 - but we need to step back even further to understand
Dia de los Muertos history.
Before the Spanish invasion, many indigenous cultures rose and fell in the land now known
as Mexico: the Olmecs, the Mayans, and the Aztecs were just some of these
Mesoamerican civilizations that flourished for nearly 40 centuries.
Now that's a long time!
Although there were several different civilizations rising and falling over those 4000 years,
they all shared a common thread: a belief in the afterlife. When people died, they didn't
cease to exist – instead, their soul carried on to the afterworld.
The belief in the cyclical nature of life and death resulted in a celebration of death, rather
than a fear of death. Death was simply a continuance of life, just on another plane of
existence. Dia de los Muertos history can be traced back to these indigenous beliefs of the
afterlife.
Once a year the Aztecs held a festival celebrating the death of their ancestors, while
honoring the goddess Mictecacihuatl, Queen of the Underworld, or Lady of the Dead. The
Aztecs believed that the deceased preferred to be celebrated, rather than mourned, so
during the festival they first honored los angelitos, the deceased children, then those who
passed away as adults. The Mictecacihuatl festival lasted for an entire month, starting
around the end of July to mid-August (the 9th month on the Aztec calendar), during the
time of corn harvests.
Aztec sun calendar
After the Spaniards conquered the Aztecs in 1521, they tried to make the Aztecs adopt their
Catholic beliefs. They didn't understand the Aztec belief system and didn't try to. As
Catholics, they thought that the Aztecs were pagan barbarians and tried their best to
squash the old Aztec rituals and fully convert the indigenous people over to their Catholic
beliefs… but they failed.
What they accomplished was more like a compromise; a blend of beliefs. The Spanish
conquerors succeeding in shortening the length of the Mictecacihuatl festival to two days
that conveniently corresponded with two of their own Catholic holidays: All Saints' Day
and All Souls' Day, which take place on November 1 and 2 of each year.
This change was a key point in Dia de los Muertos history.
The Spanish convinced the indigenous people to attend special masses on those two days to
commemorate the dead, as they tried to shift the original Dia de los Muertos history and
meaning to suit their own Catholic purpose. However, the native folk customs and
traditions prevailed. Over the centuries, these traditions transformed into the present
Day of the Dead, bestowing Dia de los Muertos with the color, flavor, and fervor that has
made it a world-famous holiday.
Even the old Aztec Goddess Mictecacihuatl found a new identity as the modern "Catrina" –
the lanky, skeletal female figure (shown left) bedecked in sumptuous clothing and giant
ornate hats, who serves as a reminder that death is a fate that even the rich can't avoid.
What next?
As a holiday, Day of the Dead continues to evolve. With the spread of Mexicans into
other countries, such as the US and Canada, many more communities are adopting the Day
of the Dead, so that it now contains even more multicultural overtones. Thanks to the
Internet, many more people are able to learn about this holiday and celebrate Day of the
Dead in their own way, inspired by Mexican traditions.
This brief study of Dia de los Muertos history shows the transformation and adaptability
of Mexico's most famous national holiday. A glimpse into Dia de los Muertos history shows
how the holiday has survived throughout centuries of changes, which perhaps stands as
proof of the holiday's cultural, and personal, importance.