Dia De Los Muertos – TRADITION, HISTORY, FOOD

Dia de los Muertos is celebrated every Nov. 1 and 2, and although it falls directly after Halloween, it is its own holiday.

The holiday is celebrated in Mexico and other Central American countries, such as Guatemala and Belize. Each region has its own customs directly related to the indigenous groups from which the population mostly came.

It is believed that during the Day of the Dead, the borders between the living and the dead are open, allowing souls of the dead to visit their living families. This has been celebrated for over 3,000 years by the Aztecs and Maya in Central America.

In the Yucatan Peninsula, the descendants of the Maya still celebrate Hanal Pixan, “Food for the Souls.” They create alters like other indigenous peoples do, but they place one outside for the lonely souls that no longer have anyone to remember them.

The Aztecs of central Mexico originally celebrated the Queen of the Underground, Mictēcacihuātl. She was thought to watch over the bones. In Guatemala, La Dia de los Difuntos” is celebrated starting Oct. 31 by cleaning tombs and decorating with flowers. It was customary for families to take blankets to cemeteries and stay the night of Oct. 31 to welcome their loved ones back. Food and drinks were placed at the gravesites where they have picnics.

In the towns of Santiago Sacatepéquez and Sumpango, Guatemala, giant kites are flown to beckon the spirits with messages written on the tails. This is a relatively new tradition that began over a hundred years ago, but the unique shapes of the octagonal kites come from the Mayan culture.

The multitude of traditions all center on a celebration of life and the cyclical nature of the world, where death is just another important part – mourning is not part of the holiday. 

The “day” of the dead is really three days. One day for pets, one day for children, and another for adults. The importance of the celebration is family-centered, with food preparations and the creation of the ofrenda, or alter.

Flowers of bright yellow marigolds, red cockscomb, and white baby’s breath, along with colorful painted skulls made of sugar, adorn the altars. Candles light the way and banners of delicate paper are strung up. Pictures of deceased loved ones are placed on the altar.

The traditions on display today are a mishmash of ancient cultures and Spanish-imposed Catholic beliefs. For instance, the marigolds were the flowers of choice of the Aztecs, who believed that the dead used the scent to find their way back. When the Spaniards came to the New World, they changed the days that were celebrated from August to November to align with the Catholic holidays of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Red cockscomb was were added to the ofrendas to symbolize the blood of Christ, and baby’s breath added for the white of purity. Statues of Jesus and the mother of Christ were also added.

For my own family, our ofrenda includes marigolds and alebrijes (mythical creatures deemed our spirit animals) and will feature our favorite foods from our ancestral homes: mole, plantains, pan de muerto, and tamales wrapped in banana leaves. This will be our first time performing these rituals – a way to connect to our dead loved ones, and a way to reconnect to our ancestors.

Angelique Cervantes