Dia del Muerto: The Foundations of Halloween

The Dia del Muerto Holiday, celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of November in Mexico and other Latin American countries, is really an outcrop of the Catholic tradition of celebrating All Saints Day (or All Souls Day). In all reality, the origin of All Souls Day (officially the Solemnity of All Saints and also called All Hallows or Hallowmas) is celebrated in many nations.

The custom in Mexico is really broken into two days, the first being Dia del Muerto (Day of the Dead) celebrated on November 1st, and Dia de las Almas (All Souls Day) celebrated on November 2nd. The first day focuses primarily on loved ones who have passed away but the second day is primarily focused on souls of children. However, in Mexico, most “Ofrendas” or offerings stay up for the entire first week of the month if not the entire month.

In my home growing up, the Ofrenda to my Grandfather Jesus Gomez Ramirez (who passed away in his mid 40’s from heart failure and embolisms) was left up for weeks. It included a large portrait of my grandfather in his prime, surrounded by all things related to him; his favorite foods (which were cooked daily), favorite drinks, magazines and newspapers he liked to read; cigars that he liked to smoke; liquors he enjoyed (also varied and changed almost daily);traditional religious candles of catholic influence; flowers (usually marigolds which are traditional) and other favorites of my grandfather like the Azucena (or Lily, which is the middle name he gave me); candies and treats my grandfather enjoyed and a myriad of other colorful and culturally relevant or traditional familly artifacts.

But, an “Ofrenda” can’t just be anything. Each Ofrenda must have some basic elements (if it is to be considered “official”), which are air, earth, fire, and water. The air element is usually some form of cut Mexican paper used as the table covering; the fire element is usually covered by candles; the earth element is almost always embodied by flowers, and the water is usually simply glasses of drinking water which are changed daily and/or in addition to other drinks the deceased liked.

The tradition in Mexico is a mix of Catholic religious tradition and Aztec festivals dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, Queen of Mictlan and the underworld, whose role in keeping watch over the remains of the dead remains intact to this day and has been woven together with Catholic traditions brought over by European conquistadors.   

The “Ofrenda” (offering) in my home wasn’t just a decoration like the pumpkins carved in American tradition or the elaborate decorations of homes on the Halloween holiday. It brought my grandfather and his memories back to us each year. My father would take take painstaking care to change the water, the food, the drinks, daily. Furthermore, each day the altar was rearranged or added to was an opportunity for my father to explain to us what my grandfather liked, who he was, what he stood for, and why he was missed. It was a time when we could literally “feel” his presence coming through my father’s words and were able to connect to him by seeing the similarities (both in appearance and behavior/tradition) in my father and in ourselves.

In Mexico, the holiday is also a time when each person reflects on their own mortality and a time when cemetaries are filled with flowers and nightlong candlelight vigils. I’m told that to this day, Mariachis play at my grandfather’s grave on the Dia del Muerto, in his honor.

Skulls made of candied and colored sugars or marzipan are decorated and custom-made with the names of loved ones passed as well as the living. Children in Mexico, instead of trick-or-treating, ask for money to buy their “calaverita” (little skull) on these days and many paint their faces white and black to resemble walking dead, symbolizing the duality of life and death. Seeing the phenomenon is a combination of rich tradition, joy, pain, reverence, and creepiness.

But the tradition of honoring the dead is universal in most countries and across all religious and secular traditions. For example, in Portugal and Spain, offerings are also made to the dead. Children in Portugal go door to door and receive cake, fruit, and other goodies. Decoration of tombs are also celebrated on these days in Austria, Belgum, France, Hungary, Italy, Malta, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Croatia, Austria, Romania, Moldova, Hungary and parts of Germany.

Here in America, although Halloween has evolved into a more commercialized holiday which focuses on haunted houses, costumes, candy and tricks.  The fact remains that honoring the dead is a part of American culture on many other levels like Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

If you would like to catch a glimpse of Dia del Muerto traditions, culture and art, the Plains Art Museum is holding an exhibit from October 8, 2009, through January 3, 2010. The exhibition includes artists as well as professionals including Luis Fitch, Alexa Horochowski, Gustavo Lira, Doug Padilla, Tina Taverna, and Xavier Taverna (all from the Twin Cities). Another local event, sponsored by the Spanish Club of MSUM, is being hosted by Centro Cultural, 1014 19th St S, Moorhead, will also include activities for the whole family, and will take place on November 2, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

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