Día de muertos

10/25/2024

Beatriz Mueller, DEBC

Día de muertos or Day of the Dead is a traditional 3-day holiday celebrated throughout several Latin American countries from October 31^st through November 2^nd, dating back over 3,000 years to the pre-Hispanic Inca, Maya, and Aztec civilizations. It is rooted in the devotion to, honor and worship of ancestors and deceased loved ones. Their souls or spirits are welcomed back as they return to visit us in the world of the living.

The practices around Día de Muertos bring a sense of connection with those we have lost, comforting us as we know their souls are not far and will return to visit us each year. In 2008, UNESCO declared Día de muertos an Intangible Cultural World Heritage.

Traditions vary from country to country. In Mexico, home altars may have pan de muertos (bread of the dead), mole sauce, and other favorite foods of the deceased, papel picado (colorful out tissue paper decorations) and cempasútchil (marigolds), some families may visit cemeteries and decorate headstones and graves; in El Salvador, people dress up as “Holy Death” or scream at midnight and ask for honey dipped pumpkin; in Guatemala, festivals feature giant, elaborate kites that take months to create; in Bolivia, families might eat “t'antawawas” (small dolls made of sweet dough), decorate large altars with candles, favorite foods and pictures of the deceased, and even onion stalks which are believed to quench the thirst of the souls that. They prepare and await to meet the souls “ajayu” (Aymara for soul) of their deceased loved ones that come to bring fruitfulness and fertility for the whole year. Some families take baked goods, flowers, and musicians to the cemeteries to guide the souls back home. According to Caserita.com, “In the Aymara culture, “natural death is not a tragic event, rather it is another cycle of life. Therefore, when someone dies, it is said that the person “has gone” or “has left”.

The rituals practiced today serve as a reminder and comfort to the living to know that they too will be remembered when they are gone.

Here are some activities you and your family can do to honor your ancestors and to celebrate Día de muertos :

Make your loved ones’ favorite food in honor of their life.
Make traditional tamales with your family.
Make clay skulls and decorate them with paint and colorful glitter.
Write down a special memory of the deceased loved one and share it with your family.
Set up your own family altar.
Watch the movie Coco (filmed with an all Latino cast)!
Harvard’s Peabody Museum has a wonderful exhibit: https://peabody.harvard.edu/day-dead-exhibit#
Day of the Dead - El Dia de los Muertos has many K-12 curriculum resources.
Create your own family altar which can include your loved one’s favorite food and trinkets, candles, flowers, and their picture.
Day of the Dead Festival and Parade, Sunday, November 3rd in East Boston: The day will begin at the ICA Watershed with a presentation of altars created by local artists and community members and will include a parade to Central Square Park in East Boston for Community Ofrenda. https://www.icaboston.org/events/veronica-robles-cultural-center-day-of-the-dead-at-the-watershed/

Activities include an altar exhibition at the ICA Watershed | 11 AM–4 PM
Catrina’s Parade from ICA Watershed to Central Square Park, East Boston | 1 PM
Day of the Dead Festival in Central Square Park | 11 AM–4 PM
The webpage includes a link on how to create an altar

Check out resources from The Smithsonian Center for the American Latino to learn more about Día de Muertos which includes virtual exhibits and a learning lab kit.

https://latino.si.edu/learn/teaching-and-learning-resources/day-dead-resources

The lives of those who have died remain in the memory of the living. On this Día de muertos, may we keep alive and honor the memory of our loved ones who have died.

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