Day of the Dead

This is the second time I’ve been in Mexico for the Day of the Dead. (See my post on Dia de los Muertos.) It is a day of parties and fun, but people also take it very seriously. They believe that every year on this day (Nov. 2) their deceased relatives come back to this world to visit. 

The faces painted to resemble skeletons are now part of the party culture around this holiday, but the practice originated with a newspaper cartoon in 1910 by Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada. The Catrina was a satire on Mexican high society who had begun to dress like Europeans. The Catrinas were depicted with skulls for faces, regardless of class or status, as a statement about our common humanity. 

There are lots of traditions associated with this celebration. Families put together altars, or ofrendas, to welcome back their relatives decorated with their favorite foods and their pictures. Altars almost all are decorated with marigolds (cempasuchil), which are believed to help to guide spirits with their distinctive smell, and decorative sugar skulls (calaveras) which take the place of actual human skulls which were used in ancient practices. The altars come in different shapes and sizes. Families also gather at cemeteries to share a meal, music, and stories about their loved ones. 

There was recently a short film in the New York Times that provides a unique perspective on marigolds and their connection with the Day of the Dead. It’s worth watching. 

Dia de Muertos originated from ancient Aztec traditions, which defined several different destinations in the afterlife. Most souls would go to Mictlán, where they met various challenges before achieving eternal rest. Souls of people who drowned went to Tlālōcān, ruled by the rain god Tlāloc. Women who died in childbirth were welcomed to Cihuateteo, from where they would guide and protect their families. Finally, men who died in battle would go to The Kingdom of the Sun. (See https://tahonasociety.com/blog/special-dates-seasons/exploring-mictlan-the-enigmatic-kingdom-of-the-day-of-the-dead/) 

One of the beautiful things about this tradition is the opportunity it provides to reflect on your relatives and their meaning in your life. As I’ve watched these altars being built and people remembering their families, I’ve been thinking about the people I’ve lost in my own life. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, even roommates and friends who died much too early. They all influenced me in different ways. I appreciate this tradition, and I hope to continue it. 

Dog of the week.

Church of the week.

Art of the week.