Rather than a time of mourning, El Dia de Los Muertos-observed
every October 31-Nov.2-is a celebrattion of life and death, when the spirts of the dearly
departed returns to earth for a family fiesta. Here at Escuelita,
we wanted to give the children and families a chance to experience and participate in this very special holiday.
History
More
than 500 years ago, when the Spanish Conquistadors landed in what is now Mexico, they encountered natives practicing a ritual
that seemed to mock death. It was a ritual the indigenous people had been practicing
at least 3,000 years. A ritual the Spaniards would try unsuccessfully to eradicate,
a ritual known today as Dia de Los Muertos.
Previously it fell on the
ninth month ofthe Aztec Solar Calendar, approximately the beginning of August,
and was celebrated for the entire month. Festivities were presided over by the
goddess Mictecacihuatl. The goddess, known as "Lady of the Dead", was believed
to have died at birth. The Spaniards moved this holiday so it coincided with
All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day(Nov 1 and 2), which is when it is celebrated today.
The success of the Spaniard's spiritual conquest in Mexico was due in part to their willingness to incorporate certain
pre-Hispanic rituals into Christian practice.
Today, Day ofthe Dead is
celebrated in Mexico and in certain parts of the United States and Central America.
But you don't have to be Mexican or Hispanic to participate. While death
is a topic largely avoided in the USA, the remembrance of deceased ancestors and loved ones is traditional among diverse cultures
around the world, 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 festival of
Osiris.
In agricultural societies
there is always the idea that if you have life, you also have death. The concept of cycle or circle of life is prevalent in
many native and indigenous peoples around the world. unlike the Spaniards, who
viewed death as the end of life, the natives viewed it as the continution of life. Instead
of fearing death, they embraced it. To them, life was a dream and only in death
did they become truly awake. "The pre-Hispanic people honored duality as being
dynamic," said Christina Gonzales, senior lecturer on Hispanic issues at Arizona University. "They didn't separate death from
pain, wealth from poverty like they did in Western cultures".
R
enowned Mexican writer Octavio
Paz observes that, undaunted by death, the Mexican has no qualms about getting up close and personal with death, noting that
he "...chases after it, mocks it, courts it, hugs it, sleeps with it; it is his favorite plaything and his most lasting love."
In Mexico, angelitos or little angels/innocent ones
return to the celebration beginning at midnight on October 31st. By midnight on Nov 1 the children have gone and the souls of departed adults begin to return to the feast
at the altars with their favorite foods.
Dia de Los Muertos is a celebration of expression in many
ways. Not only is it dedicated to remembering and honoring those that have passed
before us, it is also centrally focused on the artistic expression of the living through the creation of ofrendas (altars),
costumes, cooking and crafts. It is an opportunity to participate in an ancient
yet very alive tradition.
Our Celebration
Each year here at Escuelita we build and decorate an ofrenda
together. We cut and craft paper banners, and flowers. The traditional flower of Dia de Los Muertos is the golden bright marigold, called cempazutchil.
The pungent smell of this flower is also thought to help lead the dead to their
fiesta.
We always make a big batch
of Pan de Muertos, or bread of the dead and a big batch of cho-co-la-te (hot chocolate) will be brewing. We light candles, we sing songs. Traditional
Mexican food is served and we decorate sugar skulls with each of our names written on them.
This omnipresent skull or
calaca is an ancient symbol of death and rebirth. Unlike Halloween's skeletons,
these prototypical, dancing skeletons are not macabre or scary, but rather they are whimsical and mocking. Jose Guadalupe Posada is the artist responsible for popularizing the dancing skeletons you see here
and numerous other images. He died
in 1913, but his images are an integral part of the celebration still today. Skeletal
figures were always a part of the Day of the Dead but Posada made them come alive in humorous and often political way that
has endured the test of time. His Catrina figure, an upper-class lady of the
late 19th century whose face and plumed hat you see so often around this time of year, never seems to go out of style.
We
really encourage all the parents and families to help us decorate our altar by bringing in photos of a deceased loved one,
perhaps objects that remind you of them or maybe a favorite drink or food.
"Must I go like the flowers
that perish?/ Will nothing remain of my name?
Nothing of my fame here on earth?/ At least my flowers, at least my songs!
Earth
is the region of the fleeting moment."
Pre-Hispanic Nahuatl Poem