Day of the Dead
Questions This Article Answers
What is el Día de los Muertos?
When is el Día de los Muertos celebrated?
What are the origins of el Día de los Muertos?
Is el Día del los Muertos a sad celebration?
How are the altars decorated?
What is a calavera?
What is a calavera literaria?
Who is La Catrina?
What Is el Día de los Muertos?
El Día de los Muertos, also called el Día de Muertos, is traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2 and is popular in México(Mexico) and countries with a large Mexican community. It is believed that the almas(souls) of niños(children) return on November 1, and the souls of adultos (adults) do so on November 2.
During this festividad(festivity), the vivos(living) celebrate the temporary return of their seres queridos difuntos(deceased loved ones). This colorful tradición(tradition) brings families, friends, and communities together and is not seen as a time of luto(mourning), but rather as a time of alegría(joy) and celebración(celebration).
Origins of el Día de los Muertos
Many of the pueblos originarios(indigenous peoples) of Mesoamérica(Mesoamerica) commemorated the muertos(dead) and their journey to their place of rest with different rituales(rituals) in tiempos prehispánicos(pre-Hispanic times).
When the españoles(Spaniards) arrived in the Americas, they brought with them the Día de Todos los Santos(All Saints’ Day). The merging of both traditions gave birth to el Día de los Muertos.
Celebrating el Día de los Muertos
El cempasúchil(marigold) is the traditional flor(flower) of the festivity. Family members scatter pétalos(petals) and place velas(candles) along the way from the cementerio(cemetery) to their casas(houses).
Families build altares(altars) in their casas or on the tumbas (graves) of the deceased person they’re commemorating and decorate them with cempasúchiles, velas, inciensos(incenses), copal(copal), cruces(crosses), sal(salt), papel picado(tissue paper with cut-out shapes), fotografías(photos), and ofrendas(offerings).
The ofrendas usually consist of the favorite comida(food) and bebidas(drinks) of the deceased person, retratos(portraits), and objetos personales(personal items) or juguetes(toys) in the case of children. These are placed on the altares with the intention of encouraging the souls of the dead to return for a visit.
Traditional Día de los Muertos food includes pan de muerto(bread of the dead), tamales(tamales), and calaveritas(sugar skulls). The most popular beverages are atole(atole), mezcal(mescal), pulque(pulque), and tequila(tequila).
The Calaveras on el Día De Los Muertos
Calaveras(skulls) are one of the most representative symbols of el Día de los Muertos. They appear in the form of decoración(decoration), masks, and maquillaje(makeup), and are usually painted in vivid colores(colors).
Calaveras de azúcar, or alfeñiques(sugar skulls), are candy skulls made of sugar or chocolate that are gifted, eaten, or offered as ofrendas.
Finally, calaveras literarias(mock epitaphs or, literally, literary skulls) are satirical rhyming verses that refer to a friend, family member, acquaintance, or public figure. These humorous writings are written as epitafios(epitaphs) of the person they refer to and may be accompanied by drawings of skulls. One famous calavera literaria is La Catrina(The Fancy Lady or The Dapper Skull), which has now become a symbol of Mexican culture and identity.
More Celebrations during el Día de los Muertos
Given the rich cultural diversity of México, el Día de los Muertos is celebrated in different ways. In some regions, locals dress up in costumes and skull masks and cantan(sing) or bailan(dance). In other regions, people visit altars in the town square and snack on pan de muerto and chocolate. Some cities even stage large desfiles(parades) and festivales(festivals).
Vocabulary Related to el Día De Los Muertos
Here's a list of words related to el Día de los Muertos.
Looking for a reason to celebrate? Take a look at these articles about holidays and festivals in the Spanish-speaking world!
