Dia de Muertos: Dia de Hermosa
Throughout Día de Muertos, families welcome back the souls of their deceased loved ones for a brief reunion. A blend of Mesoamerican ritual, European religion, and Spanish culture, its technically celebrated each year on the same dates - November 1 and November 2. November 1 is Día de Todos los Santos, or All Saints’ Day, with November 2 as the official Día de Los Muertos. I say technically above, as specific group remembrances have been added over the years: October 27 (lost pets), October 28 (those lost in accidental or violent deaths), October 29 (individuals who drowned), October 30 (forgotten and lonely souls), and October 31 (lost children).
The roots of Día de Muertos go back some 3,000 years, to the rituals honoring the dead in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The Aztecs, and the Nahua people living in what is now central Mexico, held a cyclical view of the universe, and saw death as an integral, ever-present part of life. Upon dying, the soul was believed to travel to Chicunamictlán, the Land of the Dead. Only after getting through nine challenging levels - a journey of several years - could the soul finally reach Mictlán, their final resting place.
Oferendas, or personal altars, are constructed to honour the dead. The favorite foods and beverages of the departed, along with photos and trinkets from their past, are set out as a way to entice the souls to return to something and somewhere familiar. Marigolds, or Cempazúchitl, are the flowers used in decoration of both graves and altars, as the scent is said to lead the souls. The cheerful hues also add to the celebratory nature of the holiday. Pan de Muertos, a traditional sweet bread, can be found in abundance, and is shared among family and friends. It’s also placed out for the souls, giving them some much needed energy after such a long journey back to the land of the living.
Dia de Muertos is a time of celebration and festivity, rather than a somber time. People await the souls of those they have loved, if only for a moment in time. I’m not a religious woman, but even I think it’s absolutely magnificent. Death can be a terrifying thought. We’re here one moment, and in the next - poof - we’re gone. That can bring great anxiety and sadness. Dia de Muertos, though, reminds us all that there’s great beauty in celebrating life, and that the memories of those we’ve lost can be eternally carried. It’s far easier to handle the thought of death when we can remember that those we loved are never truly gone, as they live on in each of us, whether through our smiles, our laughs, our mannerisms, or our values and beliefs. And that means we’re never truly gone, either, as we’ll live on through the impacts we’ve made on those around us.
Dia de Muertos reminds us to be the very best people we can be; people of kindness, compassion, love, and light, with the time we have on earth. And I don’t know about you, but I find that a glorious reminder.