Day of the Dead - a festival of... joy

"Day of the Dead" (Día de los Muertos)

Day of the Dead is an annual celebration held in Mexico during the first two days of November. It's an occasion for families to remember their deceased loved ones through unique customs and colorful activities. Once considered spooky and macabre by the Spanish, Day of the Dead is now recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

One thing everyone should know: Day of the Dead is not the Mexican version of Halloween. While Halloween is a night of ghouls and spookiness, Day of the Dead is full of color and joy, a time to show love and respect for deceased family members. Every November, from cities to rural areas across Mexico, everyone participates in the festivities, dressed in elaborate makeup and colorful costumes. They hold parades and parties, sing and dance, offer prayers for their departed loved ones, and remember them in many joyful, even sweet, ways. Despite its spooky name, the festival is imbued with a very happy, warm, and family-oriented atmosphere.

The Day of the Dead festival was first known more than 500 years ago, when the Spanish arrived in Mexico to colonize the country and were surprised to see the natives performing a "ghostly" ritual with bizarre skulls. Initially, the Spanish tried various ways to eradicate this custom, which had lasted at least 3,000 years; however, the festival persists to this day and has an official name:Day of the Dead.

Día de Muertos is a traditional Mexican festival honoring the dead, originating from the Aztec, Toltect, and Nahuas, who viewed death as merely a stage in the endless continuity of life. The deceased remain members of the community, living on in the memories of those who remain. The Day of the Dead is a day when they temporarily return to the earthly realm to visit their loved ones still alive.

Mexicans believe that the physical body is temporary, while the soul is eternal. After leaving the body, souls gather in an eternal resting place, awaiting the day they can return to visit their loved ones. For them, life is a dream and death is a continuation; therefore, instead of fearing death, they accept it as inevitable. This is a completely opposite view to that of the Spanish (and most of us) – who see death as the end of life.

Previously, Día de os Muertos was celebrated in the summer, but the Spanish later moved the festival to November 2nd to coincide with All Saints' Day in Catholicism, and to incorporate religious rituals from the pre-Hispanic period. Today, the Day of the Dead takes place on November 1st and 2nd, close to the time of the autumn corn harvest.

According to indigenous beliefs, on the night of October 31st, the gate connecting the two realms opens, and the souls of children return to meet their families on November 1st, while November 2nd is reserved for deceased adults. Therefore, November 1st also has its own name.Angels' Day(Children's Day). In 2008, UNESCO recognized Día de os Muertos as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In families, the place that most strongly reflects the identity of this celebration is the prayer altar, also known as the prayer table.OfrendaParticularly in the inner cities of Mexico, Ofrenda is placed inside the home, decorated with traditional food and drinks, family photos, and candles, as a way of welcoming spirits to visit.

According to Aztec tradition, marigolds were used to heal those struck by lightning and protect travelers crossing rivers. In rural Mexico, people visit cemeteries and bring fresh yellow marigolds to cover the graves of their loved ones, scattering petals around to guide the souls from the altar back to their resting place. They place toys for the deceased children and tequila for the souls of the adults. Then, the whole family sits around the graves, eating the deceased's favorite foods while chatting or praying. Día de los Muertos reminds the living that the bond between us and the dead remains. After all,todos somos calaveras- We are all skeletons.

During the Day of the Dead festival, people flock to the streets and public squares day and night. People of all ages have their faces painted to resemble skulls and wear colorful robes and coats to emulate La Calavera Catrina – an etching created by Mexican cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada between 1910 and 1913. Originally, it depicted death in opulent French attire, a commentary on Mexican society's imitation of European culture. Later, artist Diego Rivera breathed life into Posada's work, naming it a woman named Catrina (slang for "rich"). Today, La Calavera Catrina has become the most popular symbol of Día de los Muertos, representing death and rebirth.

During the festival, people often hold parties and feasts, considering it a time for reunion. Popular foods include tequila, mezcal, hot chocolate, and breads and sweets shaped like skulls. One of the signature dishes is Calavera – colorful sugar skulls – a type of sponge cake that was very popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Each skull even has a name inscribed on its forehead. In this way, people can make Calavera with the names of relatives and friends and enjoy the feeling of eating... the heads of the dead. This is a very unique custom, enthusiastically embraced by the people. Additionally, Calavera are also the satirical patterns carved on tombstones, often appearing in newspapers, on television, or on the radio.

Pan de muerto, or bread of the dead, is also a type of sweet bread commonly seen during the Day of the Dead festival. The bread is round, symbolizing the cycle of life, topped with sugar or sesame seeds, and decorated with symbols of bones and skulls made from dough.

The Day of the Dead festival, originally a traditional custom of indigenous Mexicans, is now celebrated extensively not only in Mexico but also in Central America and some neighboring regions. This distinctive custom has even appeared in popular animated films such as...CocoandElena of Avalor.

In Vietnamese folk beliefs, there is also the Day of Atonement for Deceased Souls, a day when the souls of the deceased return to the mortal world. Accordingly, on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month each year, the gates of the Underworld open, granting amnesty to all prisoners in Hell, giving them the opportunity to escape and be reborn into a peaceful realm.

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