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Meta: A look at the Dia de los Muertos in detail.
While the vast majority of us might be used to dressing up as a superhero, celebrity or a princess – am I right, and traipsing up and down the neighborhood yelling out “trick or treat” at the top of our lungs and never really having anything planned for the ‘trick’ scenario, other cultures do things slightly differently. Today we will be looking at the Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead that is celebrated in Mexico and throughout other South American countries on the 1st and 2nd of November.
The holiday revolves around the belief that on October the 31st the entryway to Heaven is unlocked and the souls of children that have crossed over are allowed to return to the world of the living, on the 2nd the souls of adults who are in Heaven are allowed to return to our world as well, once the path has been walked for them by the little ‘angelitos’ – the dead children’s souls.
People construct elaborate shrines within their homes, adorning them with food, pictures, toys for the children, hot and cold beverages, novelties for the adult spirits such as cigars, fruits, many, many candles, to light the way for the spirits and of course, flowers. Sugar-skulls and toy skeletons purchased from the local market also add to the shrine and aid in welcoming the spirits home.
The one shocking factor of this holiday is that families can spend around two months of their gross income in order to properly observe this festival, they believe that the expense is worth it due to the high chance of blessings bestowed upon them by their deceased family members, some common examples include abundance, safety from external threats and a greater probability of luck for the individuals in the family.
On the second day of the festival, the villagers head out to their communities’ cemetery in order to share stories about their deceased relatives and friends, engage in popular local entertainments, watch live music and feast on traditional foods. If you are hoping to indulge in some of the many culinary delights why not try the hand decorated sugar skulls sold in many markets throughout Mexico or why not sample the local favorite of tamal wrapped within enormous banana leaves.
If that doesn’t tickle your fancy why not try whipping up some other creations such as marigold tortillas for the ‘angelitos’, make your own sugar skulls, conchas or even just liven up your tequila shot with some marigolds? All to get in the spirit to commemorate those who have gone but most certainly are not forgotten.
The Day of the Dead also coincides with the Catholic holidays of All Souls Day and All Saints Day on the 1st and 2nd respectively, while there are some in Mexico who choose to take a more subdued approach to the holiday, most Mexicans prefer to dress up in bold, colorful costumes, depicting their vast history and showing the life and color that their loved ones had in their lives.
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procession image link:
https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2014/12/14/17/03/day-of-the-dead-568012_960_720.jpg
skull surrounded by flowers link:
https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/10/27/16/39/skull-1775697_960_720.jpg
lady image link:
https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/11/29/09/51/day-of-the-dead-1868836_960_720.jpg
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