Creating Connections: Día de los Muertos

by Meredith Paterson

Happy Halloween! What are you doing tonight to celebrate?

A skeleton does half-lotus-- look ma, no muscles!

 This past weekend, I had the great treat of being in downtown San Antonio and taking part in some of the Día de los Muertos festivities that were being held at El Mercado.

Día de los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico and around the Southwest on November 1 and 2 and is a celebration of the lives of friends and relatives who have passed. It is a regional version of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day celebrations that take place around the world.

Offerings, ofrendas, on an altar at Mi Tierra
restaurant in San Antonio.

During these days, graves are cleaned and decorated, and beautiful altars are created in homes and public spaces to honor the deceased. The altars include offerings, ofrendas, such as marigolds, sugar skulls, favorite foods and drinks of the person, objects that the person may have loved, and poems and stories in honor of the person. Families and friends get together to share memories and stories of loved ones. 

"People go to cemeteries to be with the souls of the departed and build private altars containing the favorite foods and beverages as well as photos and memorabilia of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so that the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them. Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed...

A large altar built on a truck in the
San Antonio Farmers' Market Buiding

Toys are brought for dead children (los angelitos, or "the little angels"), and bottles of tequila, mezcal or pulque or jars of atole for adults. Families will also offer trinkets or the deceased's favorite candies on the grave. Ofrendas are also put in homes, usually with foods such as candied pumpkin, pan de muerto ("bread of the dead"), and sugar skulls and beverages such as atole. The ofrendas are left out in the homes as a welcoming gesture for the deceased.^[2] Some people believe the spirits of the dead eat the "spiritual essence" of the ofrendas food, so even though the celebrators eat the food after the festivities, they believe it lacks nutritional value. Pillows and blankets are left out so that the deceased can rest after their long journey. In some parts of Mexico, such as the towns of Mixquic, Pátzcuaro and Janitzio, people spend all night beside the graves of their relatives. In many places, people have picnics at the grave site as well."  from Wikipedia

I love this holiday for so many reasons. Though death is in its title, it is a celebration of life, beauty, creativity, and art. Most importantly, it is time set aside to consciously remember those who are no longer with us in person, and to remember them with humor and full-spirited love. The holiday embraces all aspects of our existence, the light and the dark. It gives us permission to be something other than somber as we reflect on and send out prayers for those who have passed.

 Here is a recipe for pan de muerto for your Día de los Muertos celebration.