The Day of the Dead

The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is one of the oldest traditions in Mexico, dating back thousands of years. The version of this holiday we know today is a mix of the indigenous tradition and All Saints' Day brought by the Spanish during the conquest. The Aztecs (Mexicas) performed rituals for the goddess of death, Mictecacihuatl. For them, death was something transitory, where the souls of the dead could return to life. The rituals lasted a month, but when the Spanish conquerors arrived in Mexico, they adapted the festivity to the Catholic calendar, making it coincide with All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, on November 1 and 2, maintaining these days for its celebration until today. 

The way of celebrating varies according to the place; however, something that is used practically everywhere in Mexico is the altars called ofrendas, in these, people put photos of their ancestors, their favourite food, candles, flowers (especially marigolds), precious objects of the deceased, atole (drink made from corn) and Pan de Muerto (bread of the dead). In addition to the offerings, it is common to see the streets decorated with Papel picado (coloured paper with cutouts), alebrijes (imaginary animals) created by the artist Pedro Linares in 1936, calaveras (skulls) and catrinas, the latter created by the 19th-century Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada. 

Cultures from other countries also have their versions of this celebration. For example, in the Philippines (another former Spanish colony), the celebration is called “Undas” and is celebrated on the first two days of November. However, the Mexican Day of the Dead has spread to several countries around the world, even being brought to the big screen with films such as "Coco", "The Book of Life" or some scenes in the James Bond film "Spectre". Of these film adaptations, the most recommended, especially if you want to learn about this holiday from a more Mexican perspective, is “The Book of Life”, produced by Mexican director Guillermo del Toro and directed by Mexican artist Jorge R. Gutiérrez. The film is also a symbol of the cultural ties that Mexico has with other countries, featuring the voices of American actors such as Channing Tatum and Latin Americans such as Diego Luna, Kate del Castillo, or Zoe Saldaña. 

Generally, it is a holiday that does not see death as an end but as another beginning, celebrating life after death, honouring the deceased and keeping their memories alive. 

Bibliography 

Chavez-Arceo, Amaite D. H. “Untitled”. Fragment of Artistic Installation, Centenario Park, Coyoacán Mexico City, Mexico. October 29, 2024. 

Asmelash, Leah and Chavez, Nicole. “Day of the Dead is full of longstanding traditions meant to honor ancestors”. CNN travel, November 1, 2023, https://edition.cnn.com/travel/day-of-the-dead-traditions-explained-cec/ 

Lopez, Oscar. “What Is Day of the Dead, the Mexican Holiday?”. The New York Times, October 31, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/article/day-of-the-dead-mexico.html 

Ward, Logan. “Top 10 things to know about the Day of the Dead”. National Geographic, October 14, 2022, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/top-ten-day-of-dead-mexico?userab=ng_pw_copy-287*variant_b-1127  

M. Cunningham, John. “Day of the Dead”. Britannica, November 2, 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Day-of-the-Dead