By Emilia Martinez
On the night of November 2, Mexican women, men, and children walk the streets in skull makeup dressed in colorful and elegant clothing. This is one way they honor and remember their loved ones on the Day of the Dead.
The Day of the Dead is a Mexican celebration of prehispanic origin commemorating the deceased on Nov. 2. This celebration dates back to ancient Mesoamerica, in the prehispanic world, preserving skulls as trophies and displaying them during rituals that symbolized death and rebirth. However, after Cortez’s arrival to Aztec lands in 1519, this tradition became a mix between All Saints’ Day’s Catholic festivities and Mesoamerican rituals, creating what we know today as the Day of the Dead.
Mexican cities and houses dress themselves up for this celebration. “Colorful streets, tissue paper with cut-out shapes, the altars’ offerings, thousands of lights, cempasúchil flowers in every corner, the smell of incense, las calaveritas (candy skulls), candles, the prayers and music that accompanies the dancers of prehispanic dances,” is how Mexican medium Maria Luisa Krieger describes the Day of the Dead. “This how we get prepared every year to receive our loved ones who are no longer with us but who on Nov. 2 come down from heaven to accompany us one more night,” said Krieger.
Among the various activities Mexicans celebrate are offerings or altars of the dead. One of the most iconic things that happens during this celebration is when the souls of the dead people come down in the night to the altar to eat and drink whatever their families cooked for them. Mexican families spend most of the time preparing the favorite dishes of the deceased, and they are placed around the family altar and the tomb, in the middle of flowers and handicrafts
The Day of the Dead includes practices such as the graves’ adornment or making altars on the tombstones, which are significant for families because they think they lead souls on the right path after death. To facilitate the return of souls to earth, families spread marigold flower petals, the traditional flower of the day, and place candles and offerings along the path from the house to the cemetery.
Death is a symbol that has caused admiration, fear, and uncertainty to humans throughout history. However, the Mexican culture has managed to give a different meaning to death, creating a special day where they celebrate and remember their loved ones who are no longer with them.
