Day of The Dead

The Day of The Dead

By: Mya Bradford

What is The Day of The Dead?

The Day of The Dead (el Día de los Muertos) is an important Mexican holiday that celebrates the dead by welcoming them back for a brief reunion with their families with drinks, food, and games. This holiday celebrates life rather than death. The holiday is celebrated October 31st through November 2nd. During the days of the Day of The Dead, families tend to visit gravesites and pull weeds, clean debris off graves, and decorate the graves of loved ones and leave food out for their loved ones. The annual holiday is a blend of Catholic tradition and Mexican mysticism.

Where did The Day of The Dead Originate?

The Day of The Dead goes all the way back to the Aztecs, which is now known as Central Mexico. They had a whole month dedicated to the dead. They used skulls to honor the dead before The Day of The Dead celebrations came about. They dedicated this holiday to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, with the Catholic influence. Mictecacihuatl is also known as “the lady of death.” She is known for ruling the underworld and watching over the bones of the dead and swallowing the stars during the day.

How Is The Day of The Dead Celebrated?

It is said that on The Day of The Dead that the border between the spiritual world and the real world dissolves. During this holiday the souls of the past awaken and return to the real world to feast, drink, dance, and play music with their families. In the celebration the families treat the deceased as honored guests by feeding them and spending the day with them. There’s many different traditions; some people attend parades, some do art and crafts, and others eat delicious food.

The Catrina Parade

Every year on November 1st since 2001, the community of Rancho Los Labradores organizes The Catrina Parade. The parade takes place every year in Mexico City. The parade first began with eight people but throughout the years it has grown. Last year, they had over 1,000 people participate in the parade. In the parade, a woman dresses up Catrina, who is a Mexican character also known as “The Elegant Death.” The woman dresses up as a skeleton with a hat with feathers. Other people at the parade paint their faces and dress up like a skeleton. This parade is open to locals and visitors who are interested in honoring life.

Why is The Day of the Dead important?

This holiday is important to the ones who celebrate it so they can honor those who have passed away. The spirits of the past return home for the night to visit their loved ones. It’s a time that helps families remember their loved ones and celebrate their memory. In Mexican culture death is accepted rather than feared which is why this holiday is important to them. This is the one time of the year they have the opportunity to reconnect with deceased relatives.

Sources:

Oscar Lopez, “It has become a blend of Catholic tradition and Mexican mysticism.” nytimes.com, “What Is Day of the Dead, the Mexican Holiday?”, nytimes, 27 October 2022 https://www.nytimes.com/article/day-of-the-dead-mexico.html, 31 October 2022

History.com Editors, “On the Day of the Dead, it’s believed that the border between the spirit world and the real world dissolve. During this brief period, the souls of the dead awaken and return to the living world to feast, drink, dance and play music with their loved ones.” history.com, “Day of The Dead (Día de los Muertos)” history, 11 October 2022

https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/day-of-the-dead 31 October 2022.

Shane Mitchell, “During the days of the dead, families often takes the opportunity to visit the gravesite of their loved one and relatives. They pull out weeds, clean debris and decorate the graves.” culturallyours.com,

“Tradition Of Dia De Los Muertos – Day Of The Dead In Mexico” culturallyours, 31 October 2019 https://culturallyours.com/2019/10/31/tradition-of-dia-de-los-muertos-day-of-the-dead-in-mexico/ 31 October 2022.

https://catrinasparadesanmiguel.com/what-is-the-catrinas-parade_/