José Guadalupe Posada (1852 - 1913). La Calavera Catrina, 1910, Etching 4.50 x 6.25 in
Each year, on the 31st day of October, families all over Mexico decorate their homes and loved one’s tombs as they prepare to welcome back the souls of their deceased for a brief reunion. A combination of Mesoamerican rituals, religion, and European culture, this holiday begins on October 31 when the gates of heaven open at midnight, allowing the spirits of the deceased children to visit their family. The spirits of the children are to return to heaven at midnight November 1, when the spirits of the adults are allowed to visit their loved ones. On November 2, the holiday ends as all spirits return to heaven. The celebration includes hearty dishes, bright colors, and lots of family love.
The origin of this celebration can be traced back 3,000 years, to the rituals honoring the dead in pre-colonial Mesoamerica. It comes as a product of the culture of Aztec and other Nahua people, native to central Mexico, which held a cyclical view of the universe. They saw death as indispensable, a natural, ever-present part of life. They believed that after their death, a person was to travel to Chicunamictlán, the Land of the Dead. It was only after they got through nine challenging levels over the span of a few years, that the person’s soul could finally reach Mictlán, where they would rest for the remainder of time. Nahua rituals honoring the dead usually took place in August, where families provided food, water, and tools to aid the deceased in their journey to Mictlán. This ancient tradition has inspired the contemporary celebration of the dead, in which people all over Mexico leave food or other offerings at their deceased graves or on makeshift altars in their homes.
Different celebrations of death have also been practiced in the history of the world. For example, in medieval Spain, people would bring bread and wine to the graves of their loved ones on All Souls' Day (November 1). They would cover their graves with flowers and light candles to illuminate the souls’ way back to their homes on Earth. In the 16th century, the Spanish colonizers brought these traditions to the New World, as well as a darker image of death which was heavily influenced by the chaos of the bubonic plague.
The Day of the Dead, despite common thought, is not a Mexican version of Halloween. Although costumes and parades are characteristic of both events, on The Day of the Dead it is believed that the border between the spirit world and the physical world becomes non-existent. It is during this brief window that the souls of the dead wake and return to their loved ones to feast, drink, and celebrate. Their families await them in the physical world with celebrations and their favorite foods in honor of their presence.
The most prominent symbols of the Day of the Dead are skulls or calaveras. These skulls are featured in Mexican art, such as in José Guadalupe Posada's, “La Calavera,” where he features a female skeleton adorned with makeup and beautiful clothes. During the contemporary celebration of the Day of the Dead, people wear skull masks and eat candy molded into the shape of the calaveras. They also eat pan de muerto, a Mexican adaptation of the pan de ánimas eaten on All Souls Day in Spain.
This colorful and meaningful celebration, which was traditionally celebrated in rural, largely indigenous areas of Mexico, was recognized by UNESCO when it was added to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This tradition has been developed further due to its visibility in pop culture and growing popularity. It has even been featured in the big screen through Disney’s Coco, a 175 million dollar production honoring the Mexican tradition, featuring a young boy and his ancestors when he visits the Land of the Dead.
Though this tradition continues to evolve, the heart of it has remained the same over thousands of years. It remains an occasion in which those who have passed on are remembered and celebrated, portraying death in a positive light as a vital part of the human experience.