Day of the Dead

At midnight on October 31, Mexico begins to celebrate the Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos. It’s a day when Mexicans celebrate, rather than fear, death. The idea is that spirits return to earth for at least one day. The holiday is a hybrid of the Aztec’s month-long celebration overseen by Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead, and Christianity’s All Saints’ Day on November 2.

For pre-Hispanic cultures death had a symbolic value. For that reason human sacrifice was a privilege. The indigenous people wished to die because death marked the beginning of a new existence, at least a better one. These beliefs mingled with the Spanish propensity to not take death seriously.

Death today is easily accepted. The Engilsh idiom, “everyone dies, but no-one believes it” doesn’t apply. However, it could be that the abundance of expressions, idioms, and rituals associated with death could mean that Mexicans fear death to the point that they mock it. It could be an eagerness to convert terror into a joke. Perhaps it is a sign of bravey to laugh at death.

Si me han de matar manana,
If I’m to be killed to tomorrow,
Que me maten de una vez!
Why not kill me right away?

Halloween is not a holiday in Mexico. There is no “trick-or-treating,” no parties, no costumes, no witches, no jack-o-lanterns. In fact, some students at my school say Halloween is devil worship. At least, that’s what their local Catholic priest tells them.

Mexicans produce altars in their homes to welcome the spirit of their ancestors in cemeteries. The dead return to the grave first and then to the altar. Some Mexicans lay flowers all the way from the home to the grave. The elaborate altars are decorated with candy skulls, photographs of the deceased, the deceased’s favorite food, an inscription of the person’s name on the top, and candles. Families bring the favorite foods and drink of the departed, light candles, recite chants and celebrate. Bells ring every 30 seconds starting at 6:00 until the end of the night. On November 1, deceased children (angelitos) are honored. The next day, All Souls Day, adults are honored with drinks, food, and festivities. Popular symbols include pan de muerto (coffee cake with meringues), candy, papier mache skeletons, flowers such as marigolds (cempazuchiles) and cockscomb (barro de obispo), and skulls.

Popular foods include fruits, vegetables, sweets, candied fruit, chalupas (corn tortillas with toppings), tameles (corn meal and meat wrapped in a corn husk), enchiladas, and calabazas (pumpkins). Beverages include water, coffee, beer, Tequila, and atole (corn starch in a hot, fruit drink

Not too far from where I live in Sahuayo is the island of Janitzio in Lago de Patzcuaro here in Michoacan. The Purepechan (a.k.a. Tarascans) Indians have a duck hunt. They cook the duck at midnight. They surround the lake with candles. I chose not to go for personal reasons, but my room mates told me it was a spectacular show. I went to the local cemetery here, and saw families placing wreaths and flowers on top of the graves. Sure enough I saw a few families chanting hymns. Street vendors sold popular food and flowers.

Kevin