History of Day of the Dead ~ Dia de los Muertos
Day of the Dead is an interesting holiday celebrated
in central and southern Mexico during the chilly days of November 1 & 2. Even though this coincides with the
Catholic holiday called All Soul's & All Saint’s Day, the
indigenous people have combined this with their own
ancient beliefs of honoring their deceased loved ones. They believe that the gates of heaven are opened at
midnight on October 31, and the spirits of all deceased
children (angelitos) are allowed to reunite with their families
for 24 hours. On November 2, the spirits of the adults
come down to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them.
In most Indian villages, beautiful altars (ofrendas) are made
in each home. They are decorated with candles, buckets of
flowers (wild marigolds called cempasuchil & bright red
cock's combs) mounds of fruit, peanuts, plates of turkey mole,
stacks of tortillas and big Day-of-the-Dead breads called pan de muerto. The altar needs to have lots of food, bottles of soda,
hot cocoa and water for the weary spirits. Toys and
candies are left for the angelitos, and on Nov. 2,
cigarettes and shots of mezcal are offered to the
adult spirits. Little folk art skeletons and sugar skulls,
purchased at open-air markets, provide the final touches.
Day of the Dead is a very expensive holiday for these
self-sufficient, rural based, indigenous families. Many
spend over two month's income to honor their dead relatives. They believe that happy spirits will provide protection, good luck
and wisdom to their families. Ofrenda building keeps the family close.
On the afternoon of Nov. 2, the festivities are taken to the
cemetery. People clean tombs, play cards, listen to the
village band and reminisce about their loved ones. Tradition
keeps the village close. Day of the Dead is becoming very
popular in the U.S.~ perhaps because we don't have a
way to celebrate and honor our dead, or maybe it's because
of our fascination with it's mysticism.
The Catholic World
Day of the Dead is celebrated throughout Mexico and the Catholic
world... Italy, Spain, South America and the Philippines all celebrate
All Souls and All Saints Day on November 1st and 2nd. Special
Masses and perhaps cleaning of the cemetery tombs are part of
the traditional activities... it's only in Central and Southern
Mexico where the colorful parties take place in the cemeteries
and elaborate ofrenda altars are built in the homes to honor specific
family members who have passed on.
This sweet angel grave marker is nestled amongst thousands of candles which illuminate the cemetery in Xoxocotlan, Oaxaca. Here, family members sit vigil in the cemetery throughout the night of October 31, so as to welcome the "angelitos" or dead children's spirits the moment they are released from heaven to come home to visit their parents.
This home baker in northern Veracruz is an expert in his village for preserving the ancient culinary tradition of the zacahuíl, or gigantic banana leaf-wrapped tamal. This tamale will serve over 100 people on Day of the Dead. It's a pistol to construct and wrap so it doesn't fall apart; then baked in a homemade adobe outdoor oven. It's then sealed with mud until morning.
The sugar skull fair - Feria de Alfinique - is a child's paradise. This little one is so excited to make her sugar skull purchase.
The Catholic World
In Mexico, the colorful, much anticipated, Day of the Dead celebrations are generally celebrated in the states from Mexico City south. This includes Michoacan, Mexico, Puebla, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Guerrero, Guanajuato, Chiapas and the Yucatan. Northern Mexico, with it's less indigenous and more European roots, spend the day scrubbing graves and going to Mass... not having music, drinks and parties in the cemeteries.
Folks in parts of Italy, Spain, Central & South America and the Philippines all celebrate
All Souls and All Saints Day on November 1st and 2nd. Special
Masses and perhaps cleaning of the cemetery tombs are part of
the traditional activities...
These molded sugar coffins are actually toys to delight the returning spirits of children on November 1. Pull the string and a smiling calavera skeleton pops out of his coffin! |
Day of the Dead outdoor market in Patzcuaro, Michoacan where locals buy their sugar skulls, special foods, copal and altar decorations. This is the only market where I've found sugar cats and sugar Guadalupes. |
Chocolate sugar skulls are hand molded & decorated and sold by the thousands at the Sugar Skull Fair. Candy makers work for 4-6 months to have enough merchandise for the sale. Sugar skulls are sometimes eaten, but their main function is to adorn the altars and tombs with a surgery delight for the visiting spirits! Miniature candy skulls are made for the baby angelitos and are displayed on the home ofrendas on November 1... then replaced with full size skulls on November 2 for the returning adult spirits!
Sugar Skull Tradition
Sugar art was brought to the New World by Italian missionaries in the 17th century. The first Church mention of sugar art was from Palermo at Easter time when little sugar lambs and angels were made to adorn the side altars in the Catholic Church.
Mexico, abundant in sugar production and too poor to buy fancy imported European church decorations, learned quickly from the friars how to make sugar art for their religious festivals. Clay molded sugar figures of angels, sheep and sugar skulls go back to the Colonial Period 18th century. Sugar skulls represented a departed soul, had the name written on the forehead and was placed on the home ofrenda or gravestone to honor the return of a particular spirit. Sugar skull art reflects the folk art style of big happy smiles, colorful icing and sparkly tin and glittery adornments. Sugar skulls are labor intensive and made in very small batches in the homes of sugar skull makers. These wonderful artisans are disappearing as fabricated and imported candy skulls take their place.
There is nothing as beautiful as a big, fancy, unusual sugar skull!
Although it is a holiday from far away in southern Mexico, it's a holiday one can personalize and integrate into their own religious and cultural beliefs. It is more of a cultural holiday than a religious one. It is a wonderful way to celebrate the memories of our loved ones who are now gone... through art, cooking, music, building ofrendas, doing activities with our children, we can recount family stories, fun times and lessons learned... not how the person died, but how they lived.
I hope you come to enjoy Day of the Dead as much as I do! ~Angela Villalba |
