Mexico is home to one of the most unique celebrations of life on the planet: the Day of the Dead.This holiday takes place only a few weeks after the end of Hispanic Heritage Month on November 1st and 2nd of every year, though some people begin celebrating on October 31st. While at first glance the Day of the Dead might seem similar to Halloween in the United States, in reality it is a very different holiday.
Day of the Dead Celebrations
While there are many different traditions and methods of celebrating the Day of the Dead, the most important tradition is remembering one’s own ancestors and to heal from the loss of losing a loved one. It is important to look back at those who came before you, and earn from their own experiences. Additionally, the Day of the Dead celebrates their lives, and tries to bring the entire family together, living and dead.
It is believed that the gates to the spirit world open up at midnight on October 31st. Spirits of the dead may enter into the physical world and visit with their living families. During this time, the living feast on the favorite foods of some of their deceased family members. It is believed that the spirits also partake in the feast with the living.
Living celebrants will share food and candies with each other, give gifts, and even write humorous fake tombstones or obituaries for their friends. Other celebrations include parades, dancing, and decorating homes and grave sites with marigolds. The parades and dances often include people dressed up as skeletons wearing brightly colored clothes. Skulls and skeletons are a major theme of the holiday. They can be found in the form of clothing patterns, tapestries, posters, figurines, and even candy!
During the Day of the Dead it is every family’s responsibility to celebrate their own ancestors. Most families make an altar for their ancestors. This altar is called an ofrenda. Here the living family members place pictures of their ancestors on the altar along with other decorations such as marigolds, candles, skulls, skeletons, and vibrant colors. Watch this short clip from our friend Oszie of his ofrenda at home.
Family members also place the favorite foods and items of their ancestors onto the ofrenda. They believe the deceased family members use these offerings to celebrate, and to help them in their journey during the afterlife. Toys might be left for deceased children, while favorite drinks might be left out for adults.
One of the most commonly offered foods is pan de muerto, or bread of the dead. This bread is a small loaf, or large roll, and is decorated with knobs on top which resemble bones.
In Nahua belief, our world is driven by cycles. There is always a beginning, an end, and a new beginning. This means death is a necessary part of life, something to celebrate, and not something to fear.
The ancient Nahua believed that when someone died, their soul traveled to a place called Chicunamictlán, or the Land of the Dead. There the souls must travel through nine levels, each presenting its own challenge to the person. This journey could take several years to complete before reaching the final destination of Mictlán.
Similar to today’s Day of the Dead celebrations, Nahua people would leave out food and drinks their ancestors liked to eat or drink in life. This food was meant to aid them in their journey through the nine levels. Over time, this tradition turned into the modern day ofrenda.
Spanish Influences
In ancient Europe, celebrations of the dead took place in the fall, as opposed to the late summer with the Nahua. European traditions included bonfires, dancing, and feasting. When Christianity became the most prominent religion in Europe, many of these traditions carried on into All Saints Day and All Souls Day, celebrated on November 1st and 2nd.
In medieval Spain, people would place wine and pan de ánimas on the gravestones of their ancestors on All Souls Day. They would also decorate their graves with flowers, and light candles to guide the souls of the dead back to their homes on earth. When the Spanish conquered much of Latin and South America in the 16th century, they brought with them their Christian religion, and also their traditions.
The Day of the Dead Today
Photo by David Nieto
Today the Day of the Dead is primarily celebrated in Mexico, and by those of Mexican descent living around the world and looking to preserve traditions in immigrant households. There are large celebrations in some major cities with large populations of Mexican people, such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Antonio.
The Day of the Dead has also been featured in a number of major films. In 2015, a James Bond film entitled Spectre opened with a scene set in Mexico during the Day of the Dead celebrations. The film includes a parade filled with traditional dances, floats decorated as skeletons, as well as people dressed as skeletons.
However, the film most widely known for its depiction of the Day of the Dead is the Disney-Pixar film Coco. In this film, the main character’s family celebrates their own ancestors and explains the purpose of the different traditions throughout the film. Most interesting is the family’s ofrenda, which is featured multiple times as an important piece of their home.
Talk to your family or friends about celebrating the Day of the Dead together. If you have younger children in the family, check out our Day of the Dead coloring sheets to start the conversation. For families living apart, looking for a private space to remember those they’ve lost, download Lalo and create a virtual ofrenda today. To learn more about Day of the Dead, see this comprehensive guide about the Day of the Dead.
Download Lalo Now
All the family moments that you want, without all the stuff that you don’t.
