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| It
may well be that on
Halloween we disguise
ourselves to frighten
wandering ghosts and
goblins, but on the
Dia de los Muertos (Day
of the Dead) we not
only welcome them, but
even bake them cookies. |
| Some
people use the plural
(Dias) and, although
uncommon, this is
more appropriate,
as the festivities
last from dusk on
October 31st (known
as Halloween, the
bastardized contraction
of “All
Hallows' Evening”),
through November 2nd
(“All
Souls' Day”). |
| The
style of celebration
best known in the
US comes primarily
from Mexico, where
Day of the Dead is
one of the most popular
folk holidays (second
only to Christmas),
but it is also observed
throughout much of
Latin America. This
is hardly surprising
as the origin of and
rationale behind the
feast is universal.
It is an acknowledgement
of the ever-present
life and death cycle,
inseparable from fall
(harvest) festivals
around the world.
We are watching Nature
die, but we know this
death is required
for the continuance
of life, so we celebrate
and give thanks. |
| Taken
one step further,
the tribute includes
also our predecessors
(ancestral worship,
even diluted or disguised,
is a basic tenet of
almost every belief
system; in the US,
Memorial Day serves
this function). The
philosophy that forms
the basis of the days
of the dead has come
to us from a pre-Christian
(and even pre-Greek)
belief that the souls,
spirits or the essence
of the departed were
allowed, for a time,
to visit their living
friends and families,
often coinciding with
the harvest celebration. |
| Unable
to stamp out this
superstition and its
related rituals, the
Church turned a blind
eye for some time,
until the ninth century
when, as part of its
long history of cultural
appropriation, it
co-opted it (creating
the holy days mentioned
above), stipulating
the proper observance
(and ordering services
to be commissioned
from the priests,
of course). |
| When
the Spanish brought
these beliefs to the
Americas, the transition
was almost seamless:
the Aztecs and other
tribes in Mesoamerica
had a similar celebration
that took place in
September. Once conquered,
the indigenous tribes
continued observing
their feast, but now
on the dates dictated
by the Catholic Church. |
| The
indigenous people
brought to the celebration
their tradition of
constructing altars
for the dead, offering
favorite foods, drinks
and items to be enjoyed
on their brief visit
to this world. After
allowing the guests
to feast on the essence
of their gifts, those
living are welcome
to partake. |
| Whereas
the European celebration
of Halloween means
to frighten the dead
back to their assigned
abode, the Dia de
los Muertos entails
jubilant remembrance
of those who have
passed away and a
celebration of life.
It is the ultimate
triumph over death:
never fearing it. |
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