El Dia de los Muertos is a colorful holiday celebrated throughout Mexico in central and southern regions, as well as other places where people of Mexican ancestry live. This holiday dates back to the days before European colonization when the indigenous people of Mexico celebrated their ancestors and made offerings to a goddess known as the “lady of the dead.” It took a while for this holiday to be accepted by the catholic majority in Mexico because they viewed it as a pagan celebration. The Mexican government made Día de los Muertos a national holiday based on educational policies from the 1960s; it has introduced this holiday as a unifying national tradition based on indigenous traditions. The indigenous traditions were combined with Catholic practices and the days it is celebrated coincide with All Saints Day, a Catholic holiday. This holiday, despite being called “Day of the Dead,” is lively celebration that spans over three days. In other countries in Central and South America, they only celebrate on the very last day.
The festivities begin on October 31st when children build altars to invite angelitos or angels, the spirits of children that have passed away. The altars are perhaps one of the most elaborate and colorful parts of this holiday; they are made and decorated with tissue paper flowers, real flowers, candles and tissue paper banners of all sorts of colors. Sugar skulls and cardboard skeletons are also placed on the altars along with personal belongings and pictures of people if the altar is dedicated to a specific person. For the spirits of children, their families and friends may leave toys and candy at the altar or shrine. These altars are usually erected in the families’ homes. The altars can have crosses or figures of the Virgin Mary and other saints.
On November 1st, the spirits of adults that have passed away are welcomed back on earth. On November 2nd, the last day of the celebration, the families of the deceased set out to the cemeteries to clean and adorn the graves of their loved ones. Families go to the cemeteries with offerings and flowers for the graves and tombs of their relatives; they sing songs, play games, and tell stories of the times when their relatives were alive. There is a lot of lighthearted laughter and reminiscing of good times. Even though loved ones’ absences might bring sadness, this holiday is not about mourning the loss of those who have left this world but is instead to celebrate the lives they lived.
Speaking of happiness, let’s talk about the food. Food is a major part of this celebration. Some of the most popular foods prepared are tamales (a lot of them), candied pumpkin, atole, and pan de muerto. Often, the deceased person’s favorite food and drink are left at their grave. The food is so important because the priority is to feed the spirits their favorite foods. The food is later consumed by the living after its essence is gone. People believe that, even though delicious, the food may not contain any nutritional value anymore.
With October 31st fast approaching, take the time to share the wonderful history and traditions of El Dia de los Muertos with your friends and remember that Halloween is NOT the same holiday. El Dia de los Muertos is a distinctly Mexican holiday that has a history unique from that of Halloween/All Hallow’s Eve and All Saints Day. El Dia de los Muertos is a day for people of Mexican ancestry to connect to their roots, remember those who have passed, and celebrate death as part of the human experience.