DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS

DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS
by Sal Baldenegro








Everything and everyone dies, eventually. Our physical beings inhabit this plane of existence for only a short time, before our spirits move on to other worlds. Death is part of the circle of life, and every culture has different ways in which they deal with it. There are cultures who celebrate the passing of loved ones with festive celebrations, such as the Irish. The Diné (Navajo) and Crow people of North America, however, view the celebration of death as extremely taboo, because they believe that we must allow the deceased to make his/her journey to the Underworld, without any interruptions.



As for the people of México and Latin America, you ask? We have our own view of death, and we celebrate a very special occasion, every year, dedicated to the departed. Each year, during the last days of October and the first days of November, we celebrate a holiday called Día de los Muertos. It is a celebration of the circle of life, and a time when we reunite with and honor our loved ones. It is the time when the living commune with the dead; a mystical time when the two realms come together, and we are with each other, once again.












(Bailando bajo la luna)

Día de los Muertos is celebrated in many parts of México, Latin America, and the Southwestern U.S. Its origins trace back to our indigenous ancestors, the original peoples of the Americas. It is dedicated to Mictecacihuatl, Queen of Mictlán, the Underworld. It is believed that the celebration originated with the Olmecas, around 3000 years ago, and was then passed to other cultures such as the Toltecas, Maya-Quiché, Purépechas, Zapotecas, Mixtecas, and Aztecas. When the Spaniards conquered the country, the custom was so deeply rooted that even after five centuries of colonization, it has continued to survive and remains as celebrated as in its first days.















(Street art in Mission District, San Francisco, 2009)


Death is the continuation of life, and instead of fearing it, we embrace it. Life is a dream, and only in death do we become truly awake. Therefore, Día de los Muertos is not a mournful procession, but a colorful and joyous celebration where Death takes a lively, friendly expression and we are happy to be with our loved ones. There is no place for sorrow or weeping, for this would be rude to our loved ones who are visiting gladly.












(¡El Titánico!)

We bring toys for dead children and bottles of tequila to adults. We decorate graves with ofrendas, which may include sugar skulls, favorite foods, or cempasúchitl, orange Mexican Marigolds. We joke and dance, and even though we cannot see our relatives, we can surely feel them.

Día de los Muertos celebrates our life and our mortality, and I invite everyone to participate in this Chican@ tradition!