Day of the Dead is a celebration of the dearly departed, a reunion of the entire extended family (living and dead), and a reminder that life and death are inextricably intertwined. The underlying belief is that the spirits of the dead return to the earth at this time to be with their families and loved ones. The holiday has much humor, as does modern Halloween, but is a much more thoughtful and emotional contemplation of life and mortality.

Day of the Dead papel-maché works by Joaquin Villasenor
(photos by Chris McGowan 1999)

Today's Day of the Dead is primarily rooted in the Catholic rites of All Soul's Day. In 998, the French monastic order of Cluny initiated a mass for souls of the Christian dead. "Over the next two centuries, the commemoration was moved to the day after All Saints' on the grounds that saints could be important intercessors for departed souls facing divine judgment. By the end of the twelfth century, the linked festivals of All Saints' and All Souls, Todos Santos or Tots Sants in Spanish, or Hallowtide in English, were well-established litergurical moments in the Christian year," writes historian Nicholas Rogers. On November 2 in medieval Europe, bells were rung for souls in purgatory and "food was laid out for the dead, whose souls were expected to return to their former abodes on All Souls' Day," a practice we see today in Day of the Dead.

Journalist Dale Palfrey notes that Day of the Dead is "marked throughout Mexico by a plethora of intriguing customs that vary widely according to the ethnic roots of each region. Common to all, however, are colorful adornments and lively reunions at family burial plots, the preparation of special foods, offerings laid out for the departed on commemorative altars, and religious rites that are likely to include noisy fireworks."

For the festivities, markets and shops in Mexico sell skeletons and macabre toys, intricate tissue cut-outs (papel picado), elaborate wreathes and crosses decorated with paper or silk flowers, candles, votive lights and fresh seasonal flowers, plus skulls and coffins made of sugar and chocolate. All of these gifts are destined for the buyer's ofrenda de muertos (offering to the dead), for the home or a graveside visit. When familes create an altar, they may add beer, tequila, coffee and/or various food dishes. After all, "the spirits of the dead are expected to pay a holiday visit home and should be provided with an enticing repast and adequate sustenance for the journey," according to Palfrey. Families remember the departed by telling stories about them.

While death is a topic largely avoided in the U.S., notes Palfrey, the remembrance of deceased ancestors and loved ones is traditional among diverse cultures around the globe, often marked by lighting candles or lamps and laying out offerings of food and drink. Such celebrations can be traced back as far as the glory days of ancient Egypt when departed souls were honored during the great festivals of Osiris.

The Day of the Dead celebration has enjoyed a rise in popularity among the descendents of the early Mexicans who migrated north to the U.S., says the Pasadena Weekly's Theresa Moreau. She quotes multicultural specialist Ricardo Reyes as saying that the first Day of the Dead celebration in the U.S. took place in 1969 in San Francisco at the Galeria de la Raza, inspired by the Chicano civil-rights movement in the 1960s.

Moreau writes that "for many generations, this heartfelt commemoration of the dead, this bridge between the many worlds of the Americas, has survived wars, borders, hatred and bloodshed for one purpose: to celebrate life."

© Chris McGowan 2003

Also See: The Origins of Halloween
 

The Days of the Dead:
Mexico's Festival of Communion with the Departed

Books About Day Of The Dead
 

  Also See:

Mexico Travel & Culture Books

Books On Milagros And Saints