The Day of the Dead in Mexico

The Day of the Dead or „El día de los Muertos“ is one of the most popular holiday in Mexico. The holiday is celebrated in two days. On the 1st of November or "Día de los Angelitos" (Day of the Little Angels) Mexicans celebrate babies and children. On the 2nd of November or "Día de los Muertos" or "Día de los Difuntos" (Day of the Dead) people of Mexico honour the deceased grownups.

people at the cemetery

It is a holiday when people remember dead members of the family. People build special altars which include – sugar skulls, Marigold (Tagetes) flowers, food and drinks the deceased used to love. People also visit cemeteries and pray for their love ones who died.

The origins of this holiday are some 2500-3000 years ago in rituals commemorating the death of ancestors by numerous Indigenous nations (Olmec, Zapotec, Mixtec, Mexican or Aztec, Maya, P'urhépecha, and Totonac) from what is now Mexico. Skulls were kept as trophies. The owners of those skulls presented them as symbols of death and rebirth.

Mictlantecuhtli

It is believed that the "father" what is Day of the Death today is the festival celebrated by Aztecs in honour the goddess Michtecacihuatl or Lady of the Dead. She was the Queen of "mictalan" (the underworld). She ruled together with her husband Mictlantecuhtli. Her "job" was to take care of bones of deceased people.

decorated grave in Mexico

For most Mexicans the Day of the Dead is a good day for communication between living and dead. That's why all of Mexican cemeteries are full of people on this day. Graves have special decorations. People build sort of altars which include food, beverage and other objects dearest to the dead person.

Different generations of the deceased get different presents - dead children ("los angelitos" or "angels" get toys, famous Mexican beverages like tequila, mezcal, pulque and atole are very commonly given to dead adults. Sweets are dear to everyone. So, dead persons of all generations have them on their graves. Everything brought is called "ofrendas" or offerings.

Time spent at the cemetery on the Day of the Dead differs from place to place. In some towns like Mixquic, Pátzcuaro and Janitzio people stay there whole night.

Plans for these altars are made a year ahead. What's the meaning of these altars? They suppose to be kind of bait or encouragement for the dead person to hear the prayers and comments of people who arrived at the cemetery. Often there is lot of humour in everything.

Marigold

Flowers are put on graves too. The most popular flowers for the occasion are orange marigolds called "cempasúchitl". Its name comes from "cempoalxocithl" which in ancient Indigenous Nahuatl language means "twenty (many) flowers". Nowadays Mexicans, due to its dominant use, call it "Flor de Muerto" ("Flower of the Dead"). They suppose to attract dead person to the offerings.

ofrendas (offerings)

The offerings are often put in homes. There they include traditional food like candied pumpkin, "bread of dead" ("pan de muerto"), skulls made of sugar and different beverages. Offerings are put in homes to welcome the soul of dead person.

pan de muerto (bread of dead)

Some people believe that dead person can somehow "suck out" the nutritional substances in food. So, people say that food put at the altar is not so healthy. The journey from the "other side" can make everyone rather tired. That is why Mexicans prepare pillows and blankets for the dead person to rest a bit.