Día de Muertos: The Living and the Dead, Together Again
Mourning takes many forms. But can it ever be joyful? For celebrants of the holiday Día de Muertos, the answer is yes.
Día de Muertos, also known as Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, traces its roots back to the celebrations of pre-Hispanic Indigenous Mexicans, in particular the Mexica/Mexihcah (Aztecs). For them, death was considered an important part of the cycle of balance, and they practiced rituals to both prepare the recently deceased for the afterlife, and to honor those already departed. One such ritual was a two-month-long feast in late summer celebrating the dead; the first month was dedicated to honoring children, and the second to adults.
When the Spanish arrived in Mexico, they sought to drive out the old traditions, establishing mandatory church burials, abolishing certain mourning and funerary rites, enacting a grave tax, and banning feasting during burials, funerals, or on “Days of the Dead.” These traditions persisted, however, and eventually melded with the Catholic influence of the Spanish, who celebrated All Saints Day and All Souls Day, to create Día de Muertos.
Food is central to the celebration of Día de Muertos. The living and the dead dine together, feasting on pan de muerto (a type of sweet bread), tamales, candies, root vegetables, and other traditional dishes. This cookbook includes recipes for the holiday, as well as insight on how it's celebrated. / THF710482, THF710485, THF710486
Día de Muertos consists of two separate feast days. The first day takes place from the afternoon of October 31 into November 1, when the souls of deceased children — known as Los Angelitos — are said to arrive to visit with their living relatives. From the afternoon of November 1 into November 2, it is time for the adult spirits to return. Over the course of the celebrations, the living visit local cemeteries, erect altars in their homes, and leave ofrendas (gifts or offerings) of food, candles, and flowers for the dead. Cempasuchil — bright, yellow-orange marigolds — cover graves, altars, and pathways. The Mexihcah considered these flowers to be sacred, and their scent is said to guide the dead back to their loved ones.
This press photo shows Juan Coronel Rivera — grandson of artist Diego Rivera — preparing for a Día de Muertos exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Rivera’s installation reflects how cemeteries would be decorated for the holiday. / THF627436
Día de Muertos is a holiday rich in imagery. In addition to the cempasuchil, monarch butterflies are a common motif. It is believed that these butterflies, which happen to migrate through Mexico around this time, carry souls of the dead. It is also common to see calaveras (skulls) or calacas (skeletons), particularly in the style of La Catrina. La Catrina — a female skeleton, most often wearing a decorated hat — became popular after being used by Diego Rivera in his 1947 mural Sueño de una Tarde Dominical en la Alameda Central (Dream of a Sunday Afternoon Along Central Alameda). Rivera had drawn from the skeletons created by José Guadalupe Posada, a Mexican political artist who used etchings of skeletons in upper-class clothing to satirize native Mexicans who were adopting European traditions. Today, many Día de Muertos participants dress up as La Catrina, and paint their faces like the sugar skull candies that make up part of the feast.
This poster by Xicanx artist Daniel Gonzalez shows singer Morrissey depicted in the style of La Catrina and other calaveras. Morrissey — immensely popular among Mexican and Chicanx communities — headlined the annual Día de los Muertos concert in Santa Barbara in 2016. / THF627984
Although it originated in Mexico, many communities in the United States celebrate Día de Muertos as well. San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, San Antonio, San Diego, Albuquerque, and Los Angeles all host major Día de Muertos events. More and more Día de Muertos-inspired items are available in mainstream stores like Target, and it has gained more pop culture ground, as evidenced by films like Disney Pixar’s Coco. As the holiday continues to grow in popularity, however, there have been growing discussions about the line between appreciation and appropriation, commercialization and commemoration.
Although it focuses on the dead, Día de Muertos is, at heart, a celebration. As the living commune with the dead, it provides an opportunity to celebrate those who came before, and to bond with those still together in this life.
Rachel Yerke-Osgood is an associate curator at The Henry Ford.
