5 Facts About Mexican Day of The Dead

Each year, November 1 and 2 are observed by Mexico and parts of Latin America as Día de los Muertos (Spanish for "Mexican Day of the Dead"), a holiday with pre-Hispanic origins in which families honor the dead. Thanks to its festive nature, where festivities are replete with food and drink, the two-day memorial stands out and family members decorate their loved ones' grave sites with candles, flower petals and candy.  

Día de los Muertos has been made to coincide with the Catholic feasts of All Saints Day (November 1) and All Souls Day since the Spanish colonization in the 16th century (November 2). However the multi-day holiday in Mexico maintains its happy character, as the ancient civilizations that occupied the region, the Aztec, Toltec and Nahua people, believed that they were disrespected for mourning the dead.

1.      This isn't the same thing as Halloween 

Día de los Muertos is observed immediately after, on Nov. 2, while Halloween is celebrated on Oct. 31. Halloween is also observed by many communities that celebrate Día de los Muertos.

2.     It originated in Central America and Mexico

In ancient Mesoamerica (Mexico and northern Central America), Día de los Muertos emerged where indigenous groups, including the Aztec, Maya and Toltec, had unique occasions when they commemorated their deceased loved ones. Based on whether the deceased was an adult or an infant, those months were devoted to remembering the departed.

This practice of commemorating the dead was intertwined with two Spanish holidays after the Spanish arrived: All Saints' Day (Nov. 1) and All Soul's Day (Nov. 2). On Nov. 1, Mexican Day of the Dead is also celebrated as a day to mourn children who have died, and on Nov. 2, to remember adults.

Today, mainly in Mexico and some parts of Central and South America, Día de los Muertos is celebrated. Among Latino communities abroad, including in the United States, it has recently become increasingly popular.

3.    It is a celebration of life, not death, not death.

Ancient Mesoamericans were of the view that death was part of life's path. They assumed, rather than death ending life, that new life came from death. This cycle is also related to agriculture's cyclical existence, whereby crops emerge from the soil where the last crop is buried.

Mexican Day of the Dead is an occasion to recall the lives of departed loved ones and honor them. Día de los Muertos is packed with music and dancing, like every other festival. La Danza de los Viejitos, the dance of the little old men in which boys and young men dress as old men, walk around crouched over and unexpectedly stand up in an energetic dance, contains several common dances. La Danza de los Tecuanes, the jaguar dance, is another dance that portrays farm workers hunting a jaguar.

4.    The ofrenda is a central component

The ofrenda is also the most popular sign of the Día de los Muertos. A way for families to remember their loved ones and provide them with everything they need on their journey is this temporary altar. Along with things that belonged to them and items that serve as a reminder of their lives, they placed down photographs of the deceased.

The four elements are also included in every ofrenda: water, wind, earth and fire. In a pitcher, water is left so that the spirits can quench their thirst. The wind is portrayed by Papel picado, or traditional paper banners. Food especially bread, represents the Earth. To reflect the cardinal directions, candles are also left in the shape of a cross, so the spirits can find their way.

5.    As symbols, trees, butterflies and skulls are usually used.

The cempasúchil, a type of marigold flower native to Mexico, is often placed on offerings and around graves. The petals are used to create a path that leads the spirits from the cemetery to the homes of their families with their heavy fragrance and vivid color.

In Día de los Muertos, monarch butterflies play a role since they are believed to carry the souls of the departed. This assumption derives from the fact that every fall on Nov. 1, which coincides with Día de los Muertos, the first monarchs arrive in Mexico for the winter.

On the altars for children who have died, Calaveritas de azucar, or sugar skulls, along with toys, are left. The skull is used as a whimsical reminder of the cyclicality of life, not as a grim emblem, which is why they are brightly painted.

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