Although most strongly identified with Mexico, Dia de los Muertos is celebrated throughout Latin America and everywhere with a Latino population! The Aztec empire had been celebrating "Day of The Dead" long before Spanish conquistadors invaded and fused it with Catholicism to create the Día de los Muertos we know today. The spiritual holiday was originally intended to celebrate the Lady of the Dead, Mictēcacihuātl, Queen of Mictlān (the underworld). The Aztecs believed it was her job to watch over the bones of past lives. Bones of past lives were believed to be used to create new life in the land of the living. As their protector, a Mictēcacihuātl looked after the bones even after they had been stolen and brought to the land of the living. Once a year she ascended to the land of the living to make sure the bones were being cared for properly. Upon her arrival the Aztecs would hold celebrations of death with dance and food to thank her for her protection.
When the Spanish conquistadors invaded America, they brought Catholicism with them and forced many of the indigenous people they conquered to convert. After witnessing the Aztec celebrations of death, the Spaniards began fusing Aztec tradition with the Catholic holidays of "All Saints Day" & "All Souls Day" (pagan holidays unofficially adapted into Catholic practice during the medieval ages). During these festivals in Spain, families would decorate graves, bring food to gravesites, and light the way for the dead to return to their families. The blending of these two spiritual practices evolved into the more modern celebration of Día de los Muertos we recognize today.
In modern day celebrations Mictēcacihuātl has been replaced by a new “lady of death”, la Catrina- a skeleton woman wearing a European hat adorned with flowers and feathers. The image of la Catrina is attributed to José Guadalupe Posada- a cartoonist from Mexico who intended the image to mock those who tried to be more European and deny their indigenous heritage. He believed death was democratic and in the end, we all ended up as skeletons no matter what our status was in life.
During contemporary Day of the Dead festivities, people commonly wear skull masks and face paint, spend time with their families at the gravesites of loved ones, construct ofrendas to invite their departed back, and share in large family and community meals with specially prepared dishes. There is so much more to this spiritual holiday than meets the eye. We hope you’ll look through the traditions, recipes, games, and crafts section to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for Día de los Muertos!
