Mexico’s Day of the Dead (Dia de Los Muertos) is a popular and fascinating
cultural holiday—a time when people who have died are celebrated, remembered,
and prayed for by friends and relatives.
The
celebration takes place on November 1 and 2; traditionally, November 1 is
focused on deceased infants and children, while November 2 is the time to
honor deceased adults. Many believe that, during these two days, the souls of
the deceased find it easier to visit those they left behind.
Celebrations of this festivity take place everywhere in Mexico, but some
places hold more colorful events than others. For a really vivid experience,
go to Morelia, above all to the island of Janitzio in Pátzcuaro Lake. Day of
the Dead celebrations in Tzintzuntzan, the ancient capital of the Purepechan
people, Jaráuraro, and Erongaricuaro are also memorable. Another good bet:
celebrations in Mixquic, once a farming island of the Aztec empire and now a
district of Mexico City; Oaxaca, capital city of the state of the same name;
Huejutla, in the state of Hidalgo; Chiapa de Corzo, in the state of Chiapas,
Jesús María, in the state of Nayarit; and Tecate, in the state of Baja
California.
Family
members gather at the cemetery for gravesite reunions that are more festive
than somber. They remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed and
bring their favorite food, tequila for toasting and—sometimes—even a
mariachi band. They tidy up and decorate the graves; dead children are given
small toys, while bottles of tequila or other liquor are received by adults.
Bright yellow-orange cempasúchi, the Mexican marigold, is often used for
decoration because it's said to attract souls. It’s not unusual for a family
to picnic on or near the grave of a loved one, inviting the soul to share in
the feast. In some areas of Mexico people spend the night beside the grave of
a loved one.
Merchants set up provisional stands outside the cemetery gates to sell food
and drinks until the fireworks announce the commencement of an open-air
memorial mass, the most solemn interlude of this occasion that scholars trace
to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl, The Lady of
the Dead.
Building altars at home to honor the deceased is another way to welcome that
person’s soul. The altar can be decorated with food, drink, and other items
the dead person enjoyed in life, as well as photos, candles, and Catholic
icons. The altar usually includes four main elements of nature: earth, wind,
water, and fire. Earth is represented by food; Wind by a moving object (tissue
paper is commonly used); Water, placed in a container, is intended to quench the
thirst of the visiting soul; and Fire is represented by candles (each lit candle represents a soul, and an extra one is placed for the
forgotten soul).
Other Day of the Dead traditions include: people wearing wooden skull masks
called calacas and dancing in honor of deceased relatives; sugar skulls,
sometimes made
with the names of the dead person on the forehead; pillows and blankets left out so that the dead can rest.
Perhaps the most beloved tradition of all is Calavera, the skull or skeleton
that symbolizes Day of the Dead. But these skeletons aren’t scary—quite the
reverse! They’re lively, fun, active, and playful, and over the years have
been frequently portrayed in Mexican art.
