D

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Día de los Muertos
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Background Information

• El Día de los Muertos began as a pre-Columbian
  celebration and was greatly influenced by the
  Spanish.
• It is a ritual honoring the dead and has been
  practiced for nearly 3,000 years by pre-Hispanic
  groups such as the ancient Maya, Aztec, and
  Toltec.
• These groups occupied Mexico, Guatemala, and
  Belize.
• When the Spaniards arrived, they tried to convert
  the Aztecs to Catholicism, which meant they had
  to destroy this ritual, but the Aztecs refused to
  let this sacred ritual die.
• In pre-Hispanic times, el Día de los Muertos was
  celebrated in August. When the Spanish could not
  destroy the holiday, they moved it to November
  1st (All Saints Day) and November 2nd (All Souls
  Day) to make the ritual more Christian.
• Today it is celebrated more in smaller towns than
  in the cities. This tradition is slowly fading.
  (Do you think the same thing is happening with
  holidays and traditions in the U.S.?)

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Events

• Families go to the cemetery and decorate the
  graves with flowers and altares.
• They build ofrendas in the homes with gifts for
  the deceased.

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Significance of Altar Items

• Skulls
• Skulls symbolize death and rebirth.
• The Aztecs and Mesoamerican civilizations kept
  skulls as trophies and displayed them during
  rituals.
• The skulls were also used to honor the dead.
• The skulls are typically grinning because they
  are laughing at death.
• They can be made from paper, wood, paper mache,
  tin, or sugar.
• Calacas
• These are toy figurines for children.
• They are used to introduce the concept of death
  to children so that they are not afraid of it.

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Altar Items (cont.)

• Pan de Muertos
• This bread represents the soul of the departed.
• Sometimes it is in the shape of a skull and can
  be decorated with frosting or seeds. In Oaxaca
  the seeds represent happiness.
• Flowers/Marigolds (Cempasuchil)
• The flowers must be specific colors, orange and
  yellow, and are considered the flowers of the
  dead.
• The sweet smell and petals, which are used to
  mark a clear path, lure the souls back to homes
  and altars.
• The orange marigold was the flower that the
  Aztecs used to remember their dead. Its color
  represents the tones of the earth.

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Altar Items (Cont.)

• Candles
• Common colors for candles are purple
  (representing pain), white (for hope), and pink
  (meaning celebration).
• They are usually placed in the four cardinal
  points, making a cross.
• The light of the candle is used to illuminate the
  way for the dead as they return.
• Each candle represents a departed soul.
• Copal
• Originating in pre-Hispanic times, the incense is
  used to attract souls.
• Copal is a special and expensive incense that can
  be found in Puebla.
• The whiter the incense, the better it is
  considered because it lasts longer.
• Incense is put on the altar last.

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Altar Items (Cont.)

• Food/Fruit and candy
• The altar may be decorated with special foods,
  candy, or beverages that the people enjoyed while
  they were alive.
• Chocolate may be added, especially in Oaxaca,
  famous for the mole sauce made with chocolate.
• You know that the dead have come back to visit an
  altar because sodas go flat, bread comes hard,
  and fruits get soft.
• Glass of Water
• A glass of water is set out to refresh the tired
  soul.
• Masks
• By putting on a mask, a person can become another
  being, either alive or dead.
• The mask is a ceremonial object used to influence
  supernatural powers.
• Many indigenous people still depend on masks
  believing they are needed to make the rituals or
  dance performances effective.
• Masks can be made from wood, tin, cloth, leather,
  clay, feathers, shells, or paper mache.
• Some masks date back to 1000 BC.

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Altar Items (Cont.)

• Other decorations
• Papel Picado This is tissue paper (or plastic
  today) with cut out holes that create pictures or
  words. They are similar to paper snowflakes
  although the pictures are skulls or other
  appropriate pictures.
• Paintings
• Crosses

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José Guadalupe Posada

• José Guadalupe Posada was a printmaker born in
  Aguascaliente, Mexico in 1852.
• He produced a popular representation of the
  calavera (skull) depicting dead people in
  everyday activities, from street cleaners to
  Emiliano Zapata.
• He also made political statements, showing that
  even the rich and powerful will die.

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Danza de los Viejitos

• This Dance of the Old Men comes from Michoacán.
• It is performed by young men dressed up as old
  ones.
• Supposedly the dance was dedicated to
  Huehueteotl, the god of fire. This god was
  represented as very old and bent over.
• Some say it was a dance performed as a ritual
  honoring the sun.
• Dancers usually compete in towns of Michoacán on
  the Day of the Dead.

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• Fotos