After the conquest of Mexico, the Catholic observance of All Saints Day
on November 1, honoring the souls of Catholic saints and dead children, and All
Souls Day on November 2, honoring souls of departed adults, became a common
practice known as dias de los muertos, the Days of the Dead. However,
Mexican celebrations of those days have their roots in pre-Colombian religious
practices. The indigenous peoples of Mexico brought some of their traditions to
Catholicism and Catholic priests eager for converts blended certain aspects of
native rituals into their own to make them more attractive to the converted.
The Aztecs maintained a belief in the indestructibility of the life force of
all things that melded with the Catholic belief in the transcendence of the
spirit after death. The blend of religious expression from the native and
conquering cultures produced often dramatic and mystical results.
Over the centuries, Mexican celebrations of dias de los muertos have
featured elaborate rituals to welcome the spirits home for an annual visit.
Mexico is a culture where the divisions between the actual and spiritual worlds
are sometimes blurred. The belief is that spirits actually return to commune
with their loved ones and consume the essence of food and drink. The festive
events surrounding dias de los muertos provide the opportunity for the
living to remember and honor loved ones who have passed on and to acknowledge
that death is a part of life to be accepted rather than feared. Many aspects of
the celebrations have developed to dispel the fear of death by poking fun at
it, turning skulls and skeletons into folk art pieces, toys, and candies, and
writing satirical poems called calaveras as jests about the living.
Famed Mexican author Octavio Paz explained this aspect of Mexican culture in
The Labyrinth of Solitude (1959): “To the inhabitants of New York, Paris
or London death is a word that is never uttered because it burns the lips. The
Mexican, on the other hand, frequents it, mocks it, entertains it; it is one of
his favorite playthings. It is true that in his attitude there is perhaps the
same fear that others also have, but at least he does not hide this fear nor
does he hide death; he contemplates her face to face. . .”
In south and central Mexico, the rural, indigenous celebrations of dias de
los muertos became popular tourist attractions in the late 1970s and
sparked a resurgence of interest in the traditions of native Mexican cultures.
Cities such as the capital of Oaxaca, Patzcuaro in Michoacan and Huaquechula in
the state of Puebla became meccas for tourists and folk art collectors.
Travelers were fascinated with the fiestas and returned home with memorable
food experiences, photos, and folk art pieces. The renaissance of these events
helped to inspire a Latino cultural movement in this country, as well. For
example, Mexic-Arte Museum founders Sylvia Orozco and Pio Pulido were inspired
to mount Austin’s first community Dia de los Muertos event in 1984 after
witnessing the folk rituals in Mexico. Since its inception, the museum has
mounted annual exhibits, offered altar-building seminars, and sponsored
parades, including their famous Low Rider parades.
Cultural and arts organizations such as Mexic-Arte, La Pe�a, and
Texas Folklife Resources in Austin and the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and
Institute of Texan Cultures in San Antonio have been instrumental in showcasing
and popularizing the holiday celebrations in Texas. In 1995, Texas Folklife
Resources curated an exhibit at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center that
chronicled the dias de los muertos observances at the San Fernando
Cemetery II on San Antonio’s west side. In Austin, groups as diverse as La
Pe�a, ALLGO/Informe-Sida, Christo Rey Catholic Church, Roy Lozano’s
Ballet Folklorico, Las Manitas Cafe, and Joe’s Bakery join forces annually to
present a series of dia de los muertos events. The festive celebrations
employ aspects of the religious, artistic, cultural, and culinary folk
traditions to strengthen the cultural cohesiveness in the Latino community and
memorialize community members who have died due to AIDS, substance abuse, or
violence in positive and supportive settings. Day of the Dead observances also
exist outside cultural center settings — public school teachers have realized
their value as teaching tools to illustrate Mexican culture and folk
traditions. Three East Austin elementary schools, Sanchez, Metz and Zavala,
build altars in observance of the dias de los muertos every year. —
V.W.
This article appears in November 1 • 1996 and November 1 • 1996 (Cover).