The Day of the Dead, a Mexican Celebration
El Dia De Los Muertos, Also Known as All Souls' Day
Sep 8, 2009
To the casual observer, the festival of El Dia De Los Muertos might appear to be a religious observance such as Easter or Christmas. Houses are festooned with decorations and garlands of flowers. Shops are packed with celebratory food and the planned festivities are those of celebration and fun.
For the people of Mexico, the Day of the Dead is a holiday with a complex history dating back nearly 4,000 years. It is not a morbid occasion where people sit in mournful contemplation, telling stories and reminiscences of dead relatives and ancestors. Yes, it is a celebration of death, but it is considered to be a joyous reunion with deceased loved ones.
Every autumn, the Monarch butterfly migrates to Mexico, having spent the summer months in Canada and the USA. This is often seen as a precursor to the festival. Although the butterflies are returning to Mexico to hibernate, local people believe they carry the spirits of their dead relatives with them.
Day of the Dead and its Roots Amongst Aztec Traditions
The Day of the Dead begins on November 1, lasting through out the night and into the following day. Unlike Halloween, which is a relatively modern celebration in comparison, the origins of this celebration can be traced back to many Mesoamerican native traditions.
Aztec art and pottery depicts a number of festivals honouring the dead. The first to appear in the calendar was the month of Miccailhuitontli, running from July 24 to August 12. The festival was presided over by Mictecacihautl, the Lady of the Dead, and was a joint dedication to Aztec children as well as the deceased. Aztecs worshiped Mictecacihautl believing her to be the co-ruler of the underworld; she guarded the bones of the dead with her husband, Mictlantecuhtli.
The Aztec Festival of the Dead, held on November 17, followed the month of Miccailhuitontli. By modern standards this was a violent and bloody ritual as it was customary to offer the heart of a sacrificial victim to the sun god, Tunatiuh.
Much of Aztec tradition was associated with death and sacrifice. As well as the festivals previously mentioned, the Aztecs also set aside two months of the year to allow the living to commune with the dead. One month was dedicated to commune with the souls of children, the second, to commune with the souls of adults.
With the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors and Christianity, priests started to apply pressure to the Aztec people in order to stamp out their pagan traditions. Eventually a compromise was achieved. The festival was ‘moved’ to coincide with the Christian celebration of All Hallows Eve.
Many rituals to honour, comfort and in some cases placate the dead predate the Christian era. Three such celebrations were:
- The Roman festival of Parentalia – Roman families would visit family tombs, where alters were built in memory of their dead relatives, especially parents and sacrifices offered.
- Lemuria – This Roman day of remembrance is observed on May 9. Romans blindly threw black beans at evil spirits they believed had returned from the underworld to torment them.
- Samhain – The festival of Samhain is believed to be the forerunner to modern day Halloween festivities. Samhain was observed during the night of October 31 and November 1, it was a night when the gods visited earth, and the souls of the dead paid their respects to those living in the deceased’s former home.
The Festivities Associated With the Day of the Dead
As with many celebrations and festivals, the preparations for the Day of the Dead begin days, if not weeks before hand. The central symbol used in the decorations is the Calvera. This is a skull or skeleton. It can be found in many different forms, from decorations and ornaments made from plastic and paper mache to edible ones made of chocolate and marzipan, much to the delight of the children.
Cempazochitl, the orange flowers also called Marigolds, are used to decorate the village. Traditionally the flowers were given as gifts to the Aztec goddess Xochiquetzal, the mother of the flowering and fruitful Earth. She is often depicted surrounded by butterflies, creating a warm glow as she passes.
Families build an ofrenda or altar. Traditionally, the four elements are represented in the decorations that they use. Fruit and vegetables represent the Earth. Tissue paper, as it is light and moves in the breeze, symbolises air. Candles for fire; one is lit for each of the souls to be remembered, plus an extra candle for the forgotten soul and finally a bowl or glass containing water. The ofrenda is decorated with Cemazochitl flowers; their scent is believed to attract the spirits to the altar. The final decorations are possibly the most important; these are the photographs and mementos of the dead relatives.
During the late afternoon, the candles are lit; they are of a special design, capable of burning through the night. In some communities, paths of flower petals are laid leading from the ofendas to the cemeteries, so as to leave a trail to guide the souls of dead relatives back to the bosom of their families.
Candle lit processions meander from the village to the cemeteries. Here, family members clean and tidy the graves. In Britain few people would relish the thought of spending the night in a cemetery, yet many Mexican families keep all night vigils alongside the graves, waiting for dawn and the arrival of the spirits. In turn, spirits find their living relatives waiting to escort them home where they are permitted a few brief hours of fun, music and laughter until it is time to return from whence they came for another year, no doubt leaving their living relatives already planning the next year's celebrations.
Sources:
- Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Mexico online
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