Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday observed throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures.
The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. In 2008 the tradition was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
It is particularly celebrated in Mexico where the day is a public holiday. Prior to Spanish colonization in the 16th century, the celebration took place at the beginning of summer. It was moved to October 31, November 1 and November 2 to coincide with the Roman Catholic triduum festival of Allhallowtide: All Hallows' Eve, Hallowmas, and All Souls' Day.Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Visitors also leave possessions of the deceased at the graves.
Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. The holiday has spread throughout the world, being absorbed within other deep traditions for honoring the dead. It happens to be a holiday that has become a national symbol and as such is taught (for educational purposes) in the nation's schools, but there are many families who are more inclined to celebrate a traditional "All Saints Day" associated with the Catholic Church.
Sugar skulls another important part of the ritual. Usually you will see them with the name of the person deceased on the top of the skull. These skulls are given as offerings and later eaten by friends and family. It is an interesting dichotomy between the sweetness of life and sugar versus the sadness off death and skulls. You can see these sugar skulls at every alter and Day of the Dead celebration. Many people take the time to decorate them together, further cementing the importance of gathering as a family.
Traditional Foods For the Day of the Dead
By Sonia Mendez Garcia
The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is a time when families come together to celebrate the loved ones that have passed on. It begins with a special place designated in one’s home to set up an altar. This altar can be small or quite large and elaborate at times. It is decorated with flowers–typically marigolds–, sugar skulls, candles, incense, pictures of loved ones and confetti in some of the most beautiful bright colors.
The celebration, for most, begins on October 30 and 31st. On those days, it is said that the souls of the children that have passed, return to the world of the living. The offerings (or ofrendas) include toys, candies and small dishes, not of savory or spicy foods.
The most common foods prepared for the ofrendas are tamales, mole and candies made from fresh pumpkin. Along with these foods, we also prepare some of our loved ones’ favorite foods, or the recipes that remind us of them. For my altar, I always include freshly-made corn tortillas, rice, frijoles de olla and always a spicy salsa.
Besides all of the savory dishes for the ofrendas, there are also sweet breads, chocolates and atoles. Pan de muerto is a lightly sweetened bread flavored with anise and cinnamon. It is round in shape and decorated with more bread on top, which is meant to resemble skull and bones. It can be drizzled with a sugar glaze and sprinkled with sugar in all sorts of colors. Special drinks such as tequila, aguas frescas or café con leche are also offered.
The family gathers on November 1st and celebrates by enjoying the foods and music of the loved ones that have passed. It is not a day of sadness, but a celebration of their lives. The foods are left on the altar, the candles are lit and the music is played in the background through midnight when it is said that the souls of the loved ones return. This is a tradition passed down for generations, a tradition filled with pride and honor. How will you celebrate the Day of the Dead this year?
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