The Day of the Dead—in Spanish, El Día de los Muertos—is celebrated
principally in Mexico and in Central and South America. The holiday has an
increasingly strong presence in parts of the United States such as Texas and
the Southwest, as well as in many other urban areas where Latin American
cultures thrive.
Officially November 2nd is the actual date for Day of the Dead. It is,
however, celebrated between the end of October and November 2nd. Although the
Day of the Dead is a celebration honoring the deceased, it is not a depressing
occasion. It is, rather, a time full of life, happiness, color, food, family,
and fun. The celebration has many modes of expression which vary somewhat from
vicinity to vicinity. The principal modes of expression include the creation of
an ofrenda, or altar, in honor of a deceased loved one; parades and other
public events, such as a parodic display of a notable deceased citizen;
cleaning of tombs; and spending a special evening in the graveyard with music,
food, and the spirits of loved ones.
La ofrenda
The ofrenda is a display honoring the memory of a loved one. Its
offerings are designed to lure the spirit of the deceased back to earth, so
that s/he will again spend the day with those honoring him or her. The ofrenda
has nine principal elements:
1. A picture of the honored person -- The person is usually deceased,
but in recent times some have honored persons who are living far from their
families and friends.
2. Candles – Candles light the way for the returning spirit.
3. Skulls -- Skulls or other skeletal representations serve to remind
that although death awaits us all, our focus should be on life.
4. Item of significance to the deceased – These items evoke found
memories for the person paying tribute and also entice the deceased spirit to
return.
5. Flowers – Cempasúchil, a type of marigold, whose bright yellow
flowers are strewn to form a path to guide the spirit back to the memorial
site.
6. Food – After a long journey back from the dead, the deceased will
need the sustenance of their favorite foods.
7. Fruit – More sustenance.
8. Water – Vital to life itself.
9. Salt – Salt, too, is essential for life.
The images on this sheet are some of the thousands produced by the great
Mexican engraver José Guadalupe Posada (1852–1913), whose art has come to
define the Day of the Dead.
Skeletons with familiar human foibles and conceits serve as whimsical reminders
that death awaits us all—and that underneath our skins we are strikingly
similar.
Posada’s images account for one reason the holiday is so closely linked,
in the popular imagination, with Mexico. But this celebration is every bit as
native to many other Latin American countries. People in Guatemala, Peru,
Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras, Colombia, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Ecuador
pay tribute to their dead at this time of year. Their ways of doing so range
from the Venezuelan’s quiet, contemplative visit to clean a loved one’s grave,
to Ecuadoran indigenous people’s custom of having a feast at the gravesite with
the departed’s favorite foods shared by those in attendance; the deceased guest
of honor gets to eat first, of course. Many lands have traditional foods
associated with the celebration—including Bread of the Dead (pan de muerto),
which can be had in Reading at El Gallito, a bakery and market at 350 N. 10th
Street (610-372-7075).
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