About The Mexican Day Of The Dead Celebration

A Mexican Celebration Of Life With An Unlikely Name

I think it's safe to say that death is not an event we think about celebrating. Although most cultures have some kind of funeral or memorial to say goodbye to their family member or friend, it's usually quite somber and often most painful. But, things are changing with the help of a very old Mexican tradition that has crossed many borders.

It has become more common these days to hear the term 'celebration of life' rather than the term 'funeral' when it comes time to honor our dearly departed, and I have to credit an ancient Mexican tradition. Yes, we can take a page from Mexico's rich history when it comes time to honor our dead. Let's take a look at how Mexico has designed an entire festival around this otherwise somber occasion.

Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead

Long before the Spanish people arrived in Mexico, the ancient citizens of the land had a religion which celebrated life and death equally. The Aztecs believed that spirits of the dead actually were an intermediary between this life and the hereafter, traveling between worlds to help and guide those left here on earth.

The Mesoamerican people did not bury their dead in cemeteries, but buried them under their homes. This ritual kept the living in close contact with the dead, both physically and spiritually. The living often visited their dead to show their respect on a regular basis and left food out for their dead to ease their travels. These rituals blended with Catholicism as colonization occurred, becoming what we know today as the Day of the Dead.

This festival may not sound like much of a celebration at first glance, but I think you'll change your mind as you read on. As the name indicates, this is a celebration to remember and honor those who have died. It's a three day celebration which begins October 31st and ends November 2nd. People gather together to pay homage to their deceased family and friends in a number of ways.

It is believed that the souls of the dead return during these days to visit their loved ones. To welcome them, family and friends decorate their homes with candles and flowers. Beautifully decorated cookies, cakes, breads, and candies are placed in baskets around the home since it is believed that the dead can enjoy food on this one occasion. Special altars are set up both inside and outside the home, at churches, and at cemeteries. If a child is being remembered, toys are added to the altar.

Of course, special foods are included in this celebration, and none more special than a sweet bread called pan de muerto, or 'bread of the dead.' This bread is made as an offering to the deceased, typically with a particularly favored nut or fruit baked into the bread as a way to honor their memory. The bread is then passed among the living in celebration. This bread may be shaped into forms that resemble skeletons, animals, or people. Another sweet treat, alfenique, is a sugar paste formed into figurines to decorate the elaborate altars.

Do the Mexican people celebrate death on Dia de los Muertos? Yes, in a manner of speaking. As much as life is a celebration, death is celebrated as the natural culmination of a life lived. By honoring their dead, they are celebrating the time they spent alive on earth.

Give it a try. Bake a cake in honor of someone you love and celebrate their life for three days. Decorate your home with flowers and candles. I think you may find out that this is a good way to celebrate someone's life.