Día de los Muertos is an ancient celebration that originally took place in Mexico, focused on commemorating the dead and allowing them to visit us from the spiritual world. The holiday is held annually on November 1 and 2, featuring altars filled with images, food, and art throughout cities all throughout Latin America. Like many other holidays around the world, it is a product of two different cultures intertwining and finding similarities within their traditions and customs; specifically Spanish colonizers and Indigenous Mesoamericans. Even in recent years, the holiday has gained a lot of popularity around the world, especially being so close to another beloved holiday; Halloween. Though Halloween stems from a completely different culture, the idea that death is not the end seems to be an underlying theme in many different communities. Understanding Día de los Muertos, its cultural significance, as well as its intersection with other traditions, ultimately broadens our perceptions of the supernatural and humanity’s relationship to life and death.
The holiday has roots that trace back to the Aztecs and other indigenous Mesoamerican civilizations like the Mayans and Toltecs, many of whom firmly believed that death was a part of the cycle of life and that the departed prefer to be celebrated rather than mourned. They held annual celebrations around August that honoured Mictēcacihuātl, the Lady of the Dead, who according to their beliefs, protected the bones of the departed. After Spanish colonizers arrived from Europe, they introduced Catholicism which featured special days to commemorate the departed like All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day, taking place at the beginning of November. The timing of Día de los Muertos can be accredited to the blend of the two cultures, although the core traditions and customs had been celebrated for centuries before the Spanish arrived.
These beliefs led to beautiful customs and rituals after death like displaying vividly colourful ofrendas, or altars, with photos of the departed, their favourite foods, candles, and beautiful trails of marigold petals to guide them back to the living world. They would also display sugar skulls that often included the names of the deceased, symbolizing ‘sweetness’ being present in both life and death. Another traditional custom is the papel picado, which are beautifully cut-out paper designs and patterns that symbolize the fragility of life. Though visiting cemeteries is still an aspect of the holiday, it is not viewed as a somber event; families will often pack picnics, play music, and even bring things that remind them of the person they are visiting. The day is meant to be a healing holiday filled with gratitude, celebration, nostalgia, and remembrance with customs reflecting a profound belief that the dead are not gone, and continue to live on in our memory.
While Día de los Muertos and Halloween have intersecting themes of death and the supernatural, their cultural purposes vary. Halloween is rooted in the Celtic festival Samhain, which today may have spooky undertones suggesting a fear of the supernatural, whereas Día de los Muertos is more of a celebration of our everlasting spirits. Many cultures acknowledge the afterlife but have differing perspectives on how the living should commemorate the dead. Ultimately, the proximity to the holidays was not entirely a coincidence since both holidays also reflect the shift from summer light to winter darkness, a popular time of year when cultures around the world recognize mortality. Despite their similarities, Día de los Muertos has been able to influence Western Culture, with Disney’s Coco, and 20th Century Fox’s The Book of Life. Critics have argued that commercialization of the holiday could dilute its cultural and spiritual significance, turning a sacred tradition into a “superficial decoration.” However, Día de los Muertos’ presence in popular culture has also led to greater cultural appreciation, inspiring people worldwide to reflect on the meaning of life after death.
Instead of fearing death, Día de los Muertos serves as an annual reminder to celebrate life and remember loved ones who have passed on. The timing of the holiday aligns with spooky celebrations but its true essence is found through remembrance and connecting with ancestors. This beautiful holiday gives us the opportunity to deepen our understanding of death, ultimately teaching us to celebrate life and that our loved ones can live forever in our memories.
