Bright orange petals of the marigold create a glowing path for passed loved ones as candles lead them back home. Favorite foods and drinks are neatly placed on the altar so they can savor every plate and beverage again as they once did to nourish the spirits on their journey. Colorful lights, tissue paper cutouts of skeletons having fun, and pictures of loved ones sit on display as people celebrate a common tradition in Mexico called Dia de los Muertos.
Dia de los Muertos is traditionally celebrated on November 1-2 every year. According to the editors at History.com in their article “Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos),” this tradition dates back 3,000 years in ancient Mesoamerica, which we know today as Mexico. The Aztecs and Nahua people celebrated death since it is the cycle of life. When the Spanish conquered the Aztecs, they forced many to convert to Catholicism. They witnessed how the Aztecs celebrated death, and, according to History.com in their article “Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos),” they fused their tradition, “All Saints Day” with “All Souls Day” into the modern tradition we know today.
The tradition of Dia De Los Muertos has evolved over the years and is celebrated differently today, though it still remains true to its roots. This tradition has always been about celebrating and honoring the dead rather than mourning them because it is the cycle of life. The way it has changed over the years is by being more accepting in modern times, the 20th/21st century. For many cultures, death is about mourning the deceased, not throwing a celebration, dancing, having traditional dishes of the season, and music. Having skulls on display or dressing up was not tolerated by religious people, like Catholics and Christians, who didn’t accept the dead since they saw it as being related to the devil, or it was against what they believed in.
Dia De Los Muertos shows how people who accept the tradition embrace it by having street parades on the special day. Men, women, and kids dress up as “Catrinas or Catrinos.” Women dress up in traditional Mexican dresses. The men dress up in mariachi costumes with face paint of a skull on their faces, with lots of different colors to show that this day is about happiness and colorfulness, never dullness, because this day is never to be sad, but to see how families come together for the memory of those who were once with them.
One area that has helped Dia De Los Muertos evolve in today’s society is social media. Social media has had a huge impact on how people view the tradition. The tradition is seen as a Mexican Halloween. Dia De Los Muertos has slowly started to spread more into the United States, like the holiday Cinco De Mayo. It is a holiday that is more celebrated in the United States than in Mexico. It is celebrated by having a barbecue or going out to drink with friends. Depending on the place, they usually have a special drink for only that day, or there is half off if you get a certain number of drinks.
The celebration has been more seen in the United States because, at first, it was associated with Halloween because of dressing up as Catrinas or Catrinos. They do not paint their faces of Catrinos or Catrinas, nor throw parades for that day for that particular. There are decorations put up like papel picado. Compared to Mexico, the streets are full of street vendors selling flowers, incense, pan de muerto, candles, and sugar skulls. Families graveyard sites to sit at the graves of their deceased family members with candles and food. Or families get together in one house and set up a big altar for their loved ones that passed away. Social media opened up a new door for people who didn’t know much about this special tradition. They saw what was the significance of the tradition and that anyone could celebrate it. No matter where they are from, anyone can put up an altar for their pet or family member.
The tradition has a major significance for my family, especially my mom. During October, we start setting up our altar, and it ends up being filled with sugar skulls and chocolate skulls that have different designs that are unique from one another. The pictures of our family members who have passed away. Traditionally, the altar is like layers, the very top is where the pictures are displayed, moving down is the decorations and food. If it’s not laid out like that, then the pictures can be laid out anywhere on the table. Papel picado – also known as tissue paper – that has been made into catrinas and catrinos with colorful dresses or mariachi outfits, is also displayed alongside handmade alebrijes of all animals in all shapes and sizes that represent a spirit animal that accompanies the deceased. Colorful orange, purple, and white lights bring all the decorations together. When it comes to the food, it is something that my mother makes with so much heart because each dish that she makes has a different memory and story behind it that she wants to relive every time she makes it on this special day. The “Pan de muerto” is essential to have on the altar because it is a sweet gift for those who have passed away. The bread has bone shapes on the top that represent the individuals who have passed away. This day means a lot to me and my family because of how connected it helps us feel to the ones who were once living, especially the ones I never met but whose stories I carry in my heart.
Dia De Los Muertos is something anyone should consider celebrating because people believe that their passed relatives do come visit them, enjoy the food that was made, and watch over them. The connection that was once there can be revived.
