The Day of the Dead celebrations are a mix of pre-Columbian and Christian influences. To the native peoples of Mexico, death was in important part of life. There was a strong belief in the afterlife and to them death was just another step, not the end. It was common for them to keep and display the skulls of the dead as both trophies of battle and as remembrance of loved ones that had passed. This influence can still be seen today as colorful sugar skulls and painted paper mache skulls adorn the altars of homes. It is a common practice to purchase a sugar or chocolate skull and have your best friend's name written on it. Your best friend does the same and you exchange the skulls on Day of the Dead. This serves as a reminder that we are all mortal and will one day be nothing but bones ourselves. But rather than be spooked or feel somber about this, it reminds us to live life to its fullest and enjoy the time we share with each other while we are still on earth.
Every year near the end of October, as the weather gets colder in the northern hemisphere, millions of monarch butterflies make their way south. It is an impressive sight as they all arrive in the same general area in order to spawn. This migration takes them all the way to the heart of Mexico, just a short distance from Mexico City. The natives that witnessed this were in complete awe. They interpreted this as the souls of warriors that were allowed to return once a year. It is the modern belief that the souls of our loved ones that have passed return to visit us this time of year to check on us and let us know that they will never completely leave us.
When the church arrived in Mexico it brought with it the observance of All Hallows Day on November 1st. Today that is traditionally seen as the day to remember the saints and the children that have passed. November 2nd is the day to remember adults that have passed. Families set up altars in honor of these loved ones. Items placed on the altar bear a significance to the dearly departed. These can include pan de muerto (bread of the dead), favorite food items they liked to eat in life, candles, flowers, pictures of them, tequila and anything else that might remind the family of their loved one.
Another custom is to visit the graves and clean them up, place fresh flowers and even have a picnic at the cemetery. In some towns it is not unusual to spend the entire night in the cemetery. Torches are lit and everyone joins in remembering all those that have passed. To an outsider, this might seem like a morbid custom. But to the people of Mexico and Latin America, nothing could be further from the truth. Whether or not you believe that the person's soul actually returns or not, we realize that by remembering them we keep a part of them alive and ensure that they are never truly gone. We share stories about them and reminisce about the good times we shared with them. That's not morbid, that's a wonderful thing!
These traditions vary from town to town and region to region, but the core is there. These are days to remember our loved ones and to make sure that the younger generations never forget them. We celebrate their lives and also celebrate life itself. Though we may cry because we miss them, we realize that they will never be gone forever as long as we keep their memory alive. We also realize that we will be reunited one day when our time is up. I leave you with a couple of pictures of the altar I set up for my grandpa who passed away 2 years ago. Tomorrow I will talk about the items on the altar and about my grandpa.
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