by Kaelin Regoulinsky
Dia de Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday celebrated primarily in Mexico but also by people of Mexican origin in the United States. It is a holiday when families welcome back their deceased familia and relatives for a brief reunion with much celebration. This holiday is a blend of mesoamerican ritual, European religion, and Spanish culture. It is also said to be based on the beliefs of the Aztecs and the *Nahua peoples and their views of the afterlife.
Día de Los Muertos holds significant spiritual meaning to the cultures that celebrate it. It is believed that upon dying a person will travel to Chicunamictlán, the land of the dead. After a journey of several years, the soul reaches Mictlán, the final resting place. In Nahua rituals, family members would provide the deceased with food, water, and tools to aid them in their journey. This ritual inspired the tradition where families leave food and offerings on their loved ones' graves, or set up altars in their homes called ofrendas.
Ofrendas are the heart of the celebration. They can be decorated with candles, bright orange marigolds called “cempasuchil”, and assorted foods. Families will prepare food to place on Ofrendas as well. Some recipes such as sugar skulls are decorated uniquely for each departed member of the family. Some sweeter delicacies are *Pan de Muertos is a type of sweet bread called pan dulce. More savory dishes such as Mole Negro a sauce that gets its dark color from smoked black chilies, prunes or raisins, and chocolate are also included in the vast assortment of foods. The food that is prepared for this celebration may even be significant to the loved one that has passed and what their favorite dishes were.
The most well known symbols for the Day of the Dead are calacas (skeletons) and calaveras (skulls). Though the most well known icon of Día de Los Muertos is La Calavera Catrina, or ‘Elegant Skull,’ a skeleton woman dressed in fancy clothes and makeup. She was created by the printer and cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada in the 20th century and was soon adopted as a major icon of the holiday.
Día de Los Muertos is such a beautiful celebration that shows how families cherish their loved ones even after their deaths. This unique holiday is a celebration that lasts a lifetime.
*Nahua - The Nahuas are indigenous groups located across all of Mexico and some parts of El Salvador.
*Pan de Muertos - Spanish for “Bread of the Dead.”
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