The Real (Almost) Story of Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead is having a cultural moment. The autumn festival, celebrated in early November, is marked by images of skeletons, altars to deceased ancestors and great parties. But where did this come from and what does it all mean? Read on, future Kalakas .
What is Day of the Dead?
Day of the Dead, or Día de Muertos, is an annual holiday celebrated November 1-2 when families invite the spirits of deceased friends and relatives to a party. It is believed that these days the border between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead is open, and your favorite Uncle Tony can hang out and enjoy the food, drink, music and fun that he enjoyed so much before he shed his mortal coil. (But it will probably be invisible.)
The idea is to have a party that the dead would want to attend, so it’s not about mourning, but about stories and jokes, dancing and good food, to celebrate and remember those we love rather than mourn their absence.
The skeletons and ghosts of Day of the Dead may look like the spooky ghosts of Halloween, but the two holidays aren’t even related in spirit. Day of the Dead isn’t about creepy, haunting, and doom and gloom. It’s more affirming of life (and death) than that.
Where did the Day of the Dead come from?
The ancient origins of this holiday are a little vague. Some argue that the practice of Day of the Dead originated directly from the Aztec Empire in Central Mexico. The Aztecs held at least six different festivals throughout the year that were somewhat similar to the Day of the Dead, including a festival in honor of Mixcoatl, the god of war, which was held from October 20 to November 8 and included the setting up of altars. with food near the graves of warriors to help them on their journey to the afterlife.
When the Spanish conquered and colonized the Aztecs in the 16th century, the dates of these celebrations were moved to the Catholic holidays of All Saints and All Souls’ Day on November 1-2, but in practice they remained the same.
This is one version. Some people think that Day of the Dead, as it is celebrated today, has more in common with medieval European festivals and holidays than with pre-Columbian American ones. In particular, All Souls’ Day, and the Dance of Death , in which dancing skeletons in paintings, woodcuts and performances were meant to remind us that beggars and kings alike would meet the same fate when death brought justice to us all. .
The truth is probably somewhere in the middle: it is a clash of cultures in which indigenous, religious, artistic and political influences were fused together to create a unique and surprising new thing.
How is Day of the Dead celebrated?
Although Day of the Dead events and traditions vary from place to place (in Guatemala, giant kites are flown, and some families in Bolivia decorate the real skulls of loved ones with garlands of flowers), there are some widely accepted hallmarks of the holiday, especially in Mexico and the United States.
Altars : usually installed in homes. These sometimes elaborate shrines may include banners, “papel picado” (tissue paper cut into decorative patterns), candles, favorite foods, pan de muerto (bread of the dead), photographs and ofrendas , offerings. specific to the one being celebrated, like a child’s favorite toy. They are usually rich in flowers, especially orange or yellow marigolds, whose sweet scent is said to help guide souls home.
Skulls and Skeletons: Skulls and skeletons are everywhere in Day of the Dead celebrations, from small “sugar skulls” decorated with colorful icing and placed on altars, to the elaborate skulls and flowers that some people paint on their faces. They’re usually colorful skulls with big smiles, not creepy Halloween-style skulls.
Much of the modern “look” of Day of the Dead can be seen in the picture above. Cartoonist and social activist José Guadalupe Posada’s book Calavera Catrina was published as a promotional poster in 1911, a year before the start of the Mexican Revolution. Katrina is a high-society skeleton lady wearing a French-style flowered hat and a wide smile. The title sentence of the “La Catrina” leaflet sums up the drawing’s purpose: “Those garbancers who are covered in makeup today will end up with deformed skulls.” Do you hear, do you hear!
Visiting Cemeteries: Day of the Dead celebrations for many families include visiting the graves of loved ones, cleaning them, decorating them with flowers and leaving offerings. In some places, bands perform at cemeteries, and relatives often have picnics, packing the deceased’s favorite food.
Parties . Most deceased relatives would probably avoid hanging out at dark, depressing parties, so music, drinking and food make up a large part of the day. The dishes are often a favorite food of the deceased, and tequila, mezcal and atole, a soft drink made from corn, cinnamon and vanilla, are also common drinks. But feel free to drink whatever you want; That’s what Aunt Rosie would have wanted.
Politics : Politics have been a part of Day of the Dead celebrations at least since Katrina. In the 1970s, the Chicano movement used the holiday to draw attention to discrimination and celebrate Mexican heritage, and in the 1980s, public altars were erected to honor AIDS victims. In 2019, a huge altar was erected in honor of the victims of the El Paso shooting.
Public celebrations . Although traditionally Day of the Dead is a more private holiday, Day of the Dead parades, festivals and street parties have become popular in recent years, especially in Mexico and the western United States.
A testament to the ever-changing nature of the holiday, one of the biggest festivals was inspired by a James Bond film . In the 2015 film Specter, Bond attends the (completely fictional) Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City. The following year, the city organized a real festival for those who were waiting for it, and since then it has become a tradition.
Is celebrating Day of the Dead cultural appropriation if you’re not Latino?
It depends on who you ask. “Cultural appropriation” (of a holiday or anything significant, really) is tricky, but I think most Mexicans wouldn’t mind a genuine, respectful interest in Day of the Dead, just as Irish people like me wouldn’t mind. you eat soda bread and listen to The Pogues on St. Paddy’s Day (here’s the real story of St. Patrick’s Day , if you’re interested). Either way, it’s probably a moot point: it’s clearly happening whether people like it or not.
Why is Day of the Dead becoming more popular?
The significance and cultural popularity of holidays wax and wane, often for reasons difficult to pinpoint, but the rise of Day of the Dead in the United States coincides with the increase in the number of Hispanic immigrants to the country, just as St. Patrick’s Day became almost universal with the influx of Irish immigrants to 19th century.
Pop culture influences from films like the aforementioned Phantom and Pixar’s Coco fueled interest in the holiday, as did old-fashioned capitalism , creating a critical mass of the holiday’s popularity that grew every year.
Ultimately, however, I think there is more to “getting the word out” for Día de Muertos than just marketing and demographics. I think many of us, regardless of our nationality, need a new way of thinking about death. The Victorian death traditions that shape the “mainstream” culture of the United States (when we acknowledge death at all, it is through black clothing and mourning) are simply not enough. A joyful celebration of the dead, as well as a celebration of life (even as we acknowledge our own mortality) is a much better cause for celebration than a groundhog emerging from its hole or something like that. Also: images of skulls and skeletons are, needless to say, always cool.