Día de los Muertos :: Joyfully Remembering Loved Ones

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Growing up in the United States, I came to associate death with scary things like illness and separation. Also, my parents never really observed Día de Los Muertos. (My parents are from northern Mexico, where this holiday wasn’t historically celebrated until the 20th century. It’s historically celebrated in southern Mexico and Central America.)

So when I encountered the celebration as a college student through a beautiful altar at UNM Centro de la Raza, I found that Día de Los Muertos is such a beautiful memorial of loved ones that have departed from this world.

Día de Los Muertos is celebrated every year on November 1st. Historians can trace the holiday back to Mesoamerican cultures that pre-date the Europeans’ arrival to the Americas. It was a celebration dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl (“Lady of the Dead”). Traditionally, it took place in the summer. But with the syncretism with Christianity, it came to be associated with “All Saints Day” in November.

In Mexico and Central America, families gather to visit their deceased loved ones and celebrate their life by cooking their favorite foods, playing their favorite music, and spending time together remembering the life of their loved ones.

Participants build altars as well, containing photos and ofrendas or offerings of food and Marigold flowers. Also associated with this holiday are sugar skulls and la Catrina, which has become an icon for this holiday. People also use Papel picado to create altars.

Día de Los Muertos is starting to become a commercialized holiday here in the United States. Some movies like The Book of Life in 2014, and the Disney film Coco reveal this commercialization. But many may not realize that this is a very important holiday for many Latino families, a holiday that celebrates life. And it is truly a joy to see how many people gleefully remember their departed loved ones. Día de Los Muertos

Check out these Día de Los Muertos crafts you can do at home.

Another idea is to print out and color a sugar skull while you learn about the background of this holiday.

Originally published October 2017

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