Día de los Muertos: A Celebration of Life
“Día de los Muertos”, or Day of the Dead, is a traditional Mexican holiday that honors and celebrates the lives of deceased loved ones. It’s a unique event that combines ancient Aztec rituals with Catholicism.
History and Significance
The tradition has been celebrated on All Souls’ Day, November 2, since the 11th century. It’s a time when families gather to remember their departed family members and celebrate their lives.
One of the most iconic symbols of the Day of the Dead are the sugar skulls, or calaveras de azúcar. These are colorful and festive skulls made of sugar and decorated with various adornments. They represent the sweetness of life and death, as well as the soul of a departed loved one. They are placed on altars or graves to invite the return of the spirit.
Sugar skulls challenge the idea that death is frightening, macabre, and to be avoided. They symbolize the cycle of life and death and the connection between the living and the dead. They remind us that death is not an end but a continuation of life.
The tradition of sugar skulls has its roots in Aztec rituals before the Spanish invasion, where people used to put real skulls on altars for the dead. However, when Spaniards saw these rituals, they found it grotesque to have real bones on altars as offerings. Therefore, they exchanged these with ones made from sugar paste and sometimes clay. Sugar was easily accessible at that time, even to those with little money, so it was a natural choice. Once Mexicans learned they could make these skulls with just water and sugar, the idea of the sugar skull evolved and became an important symbol of the day.
Celebrations in Mexico
In Mexico, Día de Muertos celebrations typically start a few days before Halloween, on October 28. Each day within that time frame is attributed to people who died in different ways. For example, those who died at a young age or in an accident are honored on specific days.
The main celebration takes place on November 1 and 2, when families visit cemeteries and decorate graves with flowers, candles, food, and sugar skulls. They also set up altars or ofrendas in their homes, where they display photos, personal belongings, favorite foods, and drinks of their deceased relatives. The altars are meant to welcome the spirits back to the world of the living and show them that they are still loved and remembered.
Some of the common elements of an altar are:
- A cross or a crucifix to represent Catholic faith
- A white cloth or tablecloth to symbolize purity
- Four candles to represent the four cardinal points and guide the spirits
- Incense or copal to purify the air and ward off evil spirits
- Water to quench the thirst of the souls
- Salt to preserve the body and soul
- Bread or pan de muerto to symbolize the body of Christ
- Fruits and vegetables to represent the bounty of nature
- Candy or dulces to satisfy the sweet tooth of the spirits
- Alcohol or tequila to toast with the spirits
- Flowers or cempasúchil (marigolds) to create a path for the spirits with their bright color and scent
