by Alison Schroeder, GHA Creative Arts Coordinator
I didn’t grow up celebrating it, though Día de Muertos has become my favorite holiday. When I moved to Mexico in my early twenties, the weeks leading up to November 2 made a big impression on me, as they brought even more vibrancy to an environment that was already saturated with color, texture, flavor, tradition and culture. Flowers overwhelm the markets in piles of fuchsia and orange, seasonal “Pan de Muerto” flies off the shelves in bakeries all over the country, and just about every school, bank, government building, store and gas station creates its own public altar to commemorate lives once lived.
Because of its proximity to Halloween and the prevalence of skeleton imagery, there is a common misconception that Día de Muertos is a dark or morbid holiday. In fact, it is a peaceful, joyous and life-affirming celebration. It takes what is the most feared and most inevitable event of life and shines a light on it in a way that allows for comfort, meaning and even humor while honoring our deceased loved ones.
Día de Muertos, like so much in Latin America, is a mixture of Indigenous and European traditions. Its roots lie in Aztec mythology and tradition and were intertwined with Catholicism after the Spaniards arrived and moved the ceremonies to align with All Saints Day and All Souls Day.
Día de Muertos is unique to every family, though some elements are consistent to almost every celebration, including an altar that includes the following:
- Images of those we have lost
- Personal items and favorite foods and drinks of the deceased
- “Cempasuchil” (marigold) flowers; “copal”, and “palo santo” – their strong scents help lead spirits from the cemetery to the altar
- Mosaics created with seeds, beans, rice and other natural materials
- Candles, pictures of saints and sculptures of skeletons, birds, butterflies and “alebrijes” (brightly painted fantastical creatures)
- “Papel picado” (decorative cut tissue paper)
- Sugar skulls, often decorated with the names of the living to remind us of our shared mortality
- Salt, to keep souls pure as they visit the land of the living
- Water, to quench their thirst after their long journey
- “Pan de Muerto”, a sweet bread made with pieces of dough shaped like crossed bones on the top, sprinkled with sugar
In our family, we make an altar by pushing the dining room table against a wall, and we follow the tradition of creating three levels: the floor represents the earth; the wall, the heavens; and the table as the connection between the two.
We place a woven palm mat on the floor and decorate the table and wall with images of our dead loved ones and all the elements listed above. Then we cook. We make sure to place offerings of food on the altar that our dead ones loved in life. There is always mole for Maria and Teresa, ginger snaps for Ruth, pickles and a serving of ketchup for Albert, “pan de bono” (a popular cheese bread) for Alfonso, a bottle of Coca Cola for Tito, mezcal for Roberto, sweet potatoes for Toska, a rum and Diet Coke for Yayoi, blueberries with milk for Bonnie and rotisserie chicken for Toto.
While the offerings on the altar are for the spirits of our lost loved ones, we always join them for the party. And while we envision this group of spirits in our home for an evening, our doors are also open to friends, family, and neighbors. We sprinkle “cempasuchil” (marigold) petals in a path from the altar to the street to guide loved ones (living and dead) to the place of celebration.
Each year, our altar grows. As we survive, we have to say more and more goodbyes. There are people on our altar whom we still mourn, but being able to cook for them and share a drink with them allows us to keep their memories alive in a celebratory way, share them with our children and reflect on the life we have.
There is so much to learn about this tradition, and there are many resources available to do so if you are interested. I am including a couple of those below; however, I believe the best way to learn is by doing. Make a little altar for a loved one you have lost. Gather some goodies for them, spend some time with their memory. Do it with someone you care for and make it a party.
Here is some more information on how to celebrate and where to do it in Mexico if you’re planning a trip: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/guide-to-dia-de-muertos-mexico
And here’s a good resource from the Mexican government for anyone who would prefer to read in Spanish: https://www.gob.mx/inafed/articulos/dia-de-muertos-tradicion-mexicana-que-trasciende-en-el-tiempo
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