Discussing gender, class, race, orientation and every ism & phobia under the sun. Through the eyes & experiences of people of color. Allies always welcome.
“In this video I show some of the events that occur during the Day of the Dead around Lake Patzcuaro. Mexico is one of a few countries in the world where death plays an extraordinary roll in the religious life of its citizens, and the celebration of day of the dead is one of the most important religious celebrations. For Mexican, to pay respect to their dead is one of their most significant duties and the occasion of a vast celebration. on the eve of dia de los muertos, families begin preparations for the festivities. For this reason, families go to the open markets to buy food, papel picado, flowers, sugar skulls, and bread of the dead. Then they build home altars to honor their family dead, and then, they go to the cemetery to clean the graves, and put flowers, and food ofrendas for the souls to come and enjoy the goods that they most cherished when they were among the living. I want dedicate this video and thank to all the good people who let me into their home and eagerly agreed to be interviewed, and very proudly explained to me the meaning of the celebration. Thank you so much!” -Jose Chavez
Dia De Los Muertos Is Not Your Halloween by Nuestra Hermana
As we all know, Halloween in America is right around the corner. Kids & adults alike will be dressed up in costumes, consuming candy, attending parties, navigating through haunted houses and thoroughly enjoying their night. Think about your last Halloween and look at the images above.
These are still shots of Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, California & Arizona. They are small snippets of a vibrant, important and REAL holiday for Latin@s. This is not your Halloween.
Dia De Los Muertos developed out of over 2,500 years of indigenous ritual celebrating death and paying respects to loved ones who have passed away. Scholars state that the Aztecs originally held a month long festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the ruler of the afterlife.
After Spanish colonization and many attempts to eradicate the rituals & festival, a new merging with the Catholic holidays All Souls Day & All Saints Day developed over time to what is now Dia De Los Muertos.
Dia De Los Muertos is celebrated November 1st & 2nd (in alignment with All Saints Day & All Souls Day respectively). It is NOT celebrated on October 31st, it is not tied in with Halloween in America at all.
In Mexico, November 1st is dedicated as Dia De Los Inocentes, a day to honor and respect the innocents, children & infants to be more specific. November 2nd is Dia De Los Muertos, the day to honor deceased adults.
On these days, altars are made in honor of them. People build them on their loved ones graves, at home or anywhere they find rightful to honor their loved ones. They make ofrendas (offerings) to the dead of their favorite foods, toys (for children), pictures, pan de muertos, sugar skulls and many other things that help guide the spirits of the dead safely to the altars. Marigolds, known as the flowers of the dead, are usually prominent in the altars.
In Mexico, many people sleep overnight at the graves. Every ritual & altar is not the same everywhere. Many places have their own traditions and ways of honoring the dead. One thing is for sure, Dia De Los Muertos is not Halloween. It is a sacred time and holiday for Latin@s everywhere.
So, when you’re dressing up for Halloween remember: doing this, this, this or this is not only disrespectful but it is also a erasure of someone’s real life culture. Think before you walk out of that door.
