By Evelyn Kelly, PhD
We are chatting with a group at the dinner table in Oaxaca, Mexico. We are here during Day of the Dead celebration in late October.
“Tell us about Cinco de Mayo, your Independence Day.” Their faces looked like we were going up the down staircase. No, no, no. That is not their Independence Day. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in only one city – Puebla – where 2,000 Mexican soldiers defeated 6,000 invading French troops. Mexican Independence Day is September 16, because in 1821, Father Hidalgo led the nation to freedom from Spain.
Dia de los Muertos
We saw skeletons in fancy clothes everywhere and asked about them. This is important. They told us of Mexico’s most iconic and celebrated traditions, blending indigenous cultures with Catholic influences. These three days of celebration are called the “Day of the Dead:”
- October 31 – Families prepare for festivities, food and decorations
- November 1 – Dedicated to remembrance of children who died
- November 2 – Adults who have died are honored with food, music, and stories
This celebration honors the memory of deceased loved ones through vibrant and joyful expressions. Certain items welcome back their souls: bright orange marigold flowers guide the spirits back to earth. Pictures of, or objects the deceased enjoyed, are placed on the grave. Candles light the way for the spirits, while Pan de Muerto, a sweet bread flavored with orange blossoms, welcomes the dead. Sugar skulls represent both life and death.
Although it is quite a fun celebration, Dia de los Muertos is not “Mexican Halloween.” The origins are pre-Colombian; it is based on traditions of the celebration of life as a continuation of death. Pixar’s “Coco” (2017) beautifully portrays the tradition and philosophy behind the celebration.
Related: Armchair Adventures: Ghosts and Graves of Sleepy Hollow
Calavera (skull) Catrina
In the 18th and 19th centuries, a Calavera was a humorous poem that might be put on tombstones and published in papers. The poem made fun of the living. These items became a popular part of the Day of the Dead. Today, you will find clever, biting poems in print, read aloud, and broadcast on television and radio programs.
Catrina as a symbol of Dia de los Muertos
To emphasize this point, Catrina was created. She is depicted as a fashionable woman with an elaborate hat, as the elite might wear. “Catrina” means “a well-dressed, wealthy person.” This well-dressed skeleton reminds people that no matter their status in life, everyone is equal in death. In the early 20th century, Posado, a Mexican cartoonist, dressed his personification of death as a skeleton in fancy French garb to mock Mexican society’s emulation of Europe. He commented that we are all skeletons underneath the man-made trappings.
In 1947, artist Diego Rivera stylized Posado’s skeleton in his mural, “Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park.” He dressed the skeleton in a large feminine hat and called her Catrina, a standing term for “the rich.” Now, Catrina is the symbol of the Dead of the Dead, and it is found in restaurants even in the United States. Many of Diego’s paintings feature skeletons dressed in fancy clothes, playing instruments, or performing daily tasks.
Evelyn and Natalie Kelly are a mother-daughter team whose book “Have a Love Affair with Travel: Your Ticket to an Exhilarating Life” is now available. They have traveled to 88 countries, 50 states, and seven continents.
