Dia De Los Muertos: The Day Of The Dead

In Mexico, a unique holiday is celebrated known as Dia de los Muertos. Dia de los Muertos is known as the Day of the Dead. This immense celebration is celebrated through the days of November 1st and November 2nd. On this solemn, yet jovial day, people honor and commemorate loved ones by celebrating with food and drinks. Kids and adults celebrate by creating candies, building altars, and even making skeletons out of various materials to decorate their loved ones’ altars. Bright decorations that are filled with color are found everywhere during this holiday.

Dia de los Muertos started tracing its roots to the traditions of the ancient cultures of the Aztecs, Mayans, and Toltecs. The Aztecs would hold an annual, month long celebration to honor their loved ones who had passed. A goddess was known to oversee this holiday, which was Mictecacihuatl, who is known as “The Lady of the Dead.” When the

Spanish arrived to spread their Roman Catholic religion to the people of Mexico, their traditions and customs combined. Christian holidays such as All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2), had its ideas combined with the ancient Aztec traditions to create ideas that are similar to the Day of the Dead.

For the Day of the Dead, families gather together to build altars, which are known as holy tables, to honor the dead in their homes.

These altars are decorated with offerings to represent the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind. The element, earth, is exemplified when the favorite foods of the loved one are put on the altar. A traditional bread is made for Dia de los Muertos, which is called pan de Muerto. It is made in a variety of different sizes with normally a design made of extra pieces of dough to make a head and bones of a skeleton. Chocolate is another food eaten, and atole, which is an alcoholic corn-based drink, is enjoyed during this holiday. Water is represented on the altar because there is traditionally a clay pitcher or glass filled with water that is set atop the altar to make sure their loved one isn’t thirsty when they emerge for their small family reunion. The element, fire, is represented because candles are lit and put on top of the table. Wind is exemplified on the table because bright and colorful paper decorations are put all around the

altar.

Day of the Dead shows that skeletons and skulls are an important symbol for this celebration through their candies and decorations. Pictures of skulls have been used since ancient times, as they have appeared regularly on wall paintings and pottery. Jose Guadalupe Posada was a Mexican political cartoonist in the early 1900s. He drew the wealthy people of Mexico as skeletons, and one of his skeletons in the picture, named Katarina, is seen as an important symbol for Dia de los Muertos. Day of the Dead skeletons are made from various materials which include wood and papier-mâché. Skulls are even made from hardened sugar syrup or chocolate, and they are mainly used as decoration instead of food. The decorated skulls are seen in a cartoonish manner, but the holiday takes a more serious approach by showing death is a certainty in life.