Día de los Muertos

Origins of Día de los Muertos

Before the arrival of Europeans the Aztecs had a monthlong celebration at the end of summer, at the time of the corn harvest, related to their goddess Mictecacihuatl, who was considered closely related to death. She was thought to guard the bones of the dead. The celebration sought to recognize the continuity between those living and those who had died. It was seen as a time to celebrate the lives of those who had died. The lives of deceased children were observed first, followed by deceased adults. Skulls were used in the festival.

Ancient Mesoamericans were agrarian and depended upon the fertility of the soil. Their belief system, as well as that of many other groups, held that departed souls were partially responsible for crop production. The festival to honor the dead, held during harvest time, was at least one effort to ensure the continued production of crops. Generous offerings of food were given to departed people as a way to prepare for a bountiful harvest. As is the case with today's celebration, the ancient people of Mexico did not view death as a finality.

The interaction of the living and the dead was symbolized in the carrying out of this celebration.

When the Spanish conquerors entered Mexico, Catholic priests accompanied them to seek to make Christians of the indigenous peoples. They sought to eliminate practices that were contrary to Catholic teachings. The monthlong celebration devoted to a goddess of death and offering sacrifices to the dead were seen as practices that had to be stamped out. However, Catholics found the practices deeply ingrained in the culture and were not able to wipe them out. But there were enough parallels between this indigenous celebration and the Catholic All Saints Day and All Souls Day to enable the church to Christianize the pagan practices and fit them within the celebration of these two Christian holidays. Both Catholic holidays had to do with the dead. All Saints Day involved praying to saints, and All Souls Day was a time for praying for the deceased in purgatory.

Practices of Día de los Muertos

The celebration is based on the belief that the dead are able to visit the world of the living for a 24-hour period during this time. Children are thought to visit on November 1 and adults on November 2. During this period, death is conceived less grimly and there is an effort to joyfully celebrate the temporary return of the spirits of the deceased. In Mexico public observances, like parades and street parties where people dress as skeletons, have been encouraged to promote tourism. Private celebrations have needed no encouragement.

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