Día de Los Muertos & US Hispanics: As American As Apple Empanadas

November 2 is the Mexican holiday and celebration known as Día de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead, which is widely celebrated in the US to the point of being almost as American as apple empanadas and Corona w/ lime. It is not part of Halloween, or as we know Halloween in the US.

Most people notice the celebrations via art, crafts and festivals as well as altars. These altars are devotional and highly personal in origin. However, they seem to have become as much a part of the American pop lexicon as Posada style skeletons, sugar skulls and Frida Kahlo images.

A quick, short and very brief history of Día de Los Muertos, for those not familiar with it:

For more than a couple thousand years, the indigenous peoples in what is now Mexico, had rituals which appeared to mock death but were actually more celebrations of life.  The Spaniards arrived over 500 years ago and were appalled and saw it as sacrilege and overall not such a good idea. They tried to eliminate it but somehow it morphed into what has become this holiday in Mexico where folks come together to pray and remember the departed. It’s a celebration and remembrance of life, as well as a way to honor the ancestors.

US Hispanics celebrate this holiday in a very familiar manner, especially in the Southwest. One thing to keep in mind is that these celebrations carry traditions of food and beverages that may have been favorites of the departed. Pan de Muerto is traditional fare as well. It's tasty and comes in varying shapes. Also, part of these celebrations include colorful sugar skulls (This makes it more agreeable than collecting the real thing for trophies, as the Aztecs did), and marigolds. It’s a time of reflection and partying.

In Mexico, these celebrations are traditionally held in cemeteries. Here in the US, it's usually a park or a cultural facility of some sort. I’ve always stressed the fact that Hispanics are not a monolithic group. These celebrations and customs also vary in different parts of Mexico.

I’m amazed at how many companies and marketers here in the US are "focusing" on the US Hispanic Market but haven't a clue about this holiday or (my favorite) "it's kind of spooky & morbid, so maybe not right now".

Whatever. It's your loss.

Día de Los Muertos has become part of the American landscape. It popularity continues to grow and become more widespread.

Do you celebrate Día de Los Muertos? If so, how?

Comments

[Francisco Gutierrez]

Dia de los Muertos starts 11/01/10, I was in Oaxaca, Mexico in 2008 for DDLM. The cemeteries in the small towns look like a movie set - filled with flowers, tapetes and candles. DDLM is a time to stop and think about our ancestors and loved ones who have gone before us. It is a time for reflection about life and death. There is a saying in Oaxaca; “We are not here for a long time, we are here for a good time.”

[Joe Ray]

Gracias, Francisco. I've always loved that saying "We are not here for a long time, we are here for a good time." Words to live by. Salud!

[Toni Brown]

good grief, Dia de los Muertos is spooky but Halloween isn't? or the whole Vampire Worship Scene going on lately? oy. Halloween seems inordinately vacuous compared to Dia de Los muertos ... I mean, what exactly IS the purpose of Halloween except to dress stupidly and grub candy and probably get drunk and act according to your stupid costume? Whereas at least Dia has an undercurrent of MEANING. I am personally someone who is entirely creeped out by Halloween, and the new Halloween TREES (whatever) and this entire INDUSTRY OF HALLOWEEN ... also, I'm an admitted woose when it comes to 'the dark side' in the Halloween context .... But two years ago I became fully aware of, with comprehension, Dia de los Muertos, and have slowly added ways of embracing that in my own Gringa life.

[A.J.]

"spooky & morbid"?? para nada! More like an outpour of art, tradition & a culinary experience. BTW, the Incas also had "el dia de los Santos" and many other cultures have their own celebrations involving "the other wold". Celebrations that involve the entire community, not only children, candy and retail companies...
Are you going to post any photos??? :)

[Joe Ray]

Spooky + Morbid = Xenophobic.

About 12 years ago I was asked to do a poster for a Muertos festival out in the Sun City area in conjunction w/ ASU West. I went with the client to present to her boss who had a total hissy fit when she saw the image of a skeleton juggling marigolds as it danced. She thought it was morbid and would be in bad taste for many of the Sun City folks, who are retirees and from what she figured, had one foot in the grave and didn't want to be reminded of death. I was at a loss of words and the only thing I could ask was how many Muerto festivals she had been to. She replied none, and that she had just moved here from the midwest. I guess she figured that this was her first encounter with a tame but somewhat blood thirsty descendent of the Aztecs. After a few minutes I gathered my stuff, suggested they dome something else, have fun, good luck, etc., and left.

That was the first time I professionally came across the morbid and spooky connotation in a professional sense. I've come across it a few more times, but to Toni's point it's okay to dress up like skeletons and vampires, witches, etc. and ask for candy, but it's not okay to mock death. Some people are just no fun. Others don't know but are open.

AJ- you're right about the festivals are celebrations of art, food and fun. And it's great to see a diverse audience at these things, all ages included. Even if they maybe do have one foot in the grave.
Hell, don't we all have one foot in...?

[Pamela Enriquez]

I first learned the origins of El Dia de Los Muertos several years ago and fell in love with rich history and cultural impact of this celebration. And then I realized that I've been celebrating Dia de Los Muertos all my life. Only it never had a name. Several times a year my family would go to the cemetery. We would take flowers, decorations, trinkets, food, and sometimes alcohol depending on whose departing memory we were honoring. The family would gather around, clean up the grave, beautify it, and then we'd eat and talk about our memories. It was an eye opener when I realized that this is what Dia de Los Muertos is about! It's about remembrance and paying homage to those who have passed away. It's celebratory and bittersweet at the same time. But most of all, it's meant to keep the memory of our loved ones alive. I try to stay positive as I do my best to inform the ignorant and close-minded people about the purpose of El Dia de Los Muertos.

[Joe Ray]

Thanks, Pamela. Good history and recollection. It was part of your family's natural flow in doing that.

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[Charlie Cruce]

Great article, Joe! I look forward to doing more with this holiday! To Toni's comment, Halloween and Dia de los Muertos both really address and coincide with the holy "All Saints Day" and "All Souls Day", by "celebrating" death/life/harvesting/etc. Search "Halloween" in Wikipedia. You'll find a lot about the history of the holiday right there! In the town I lived in previously, we had plenty of Hispanic children come to our door on Halloween looking for candy, and it looked like they were having a pretty good time doing it, despite it being about 28 degrees outside! They did not ask for Pan de Muerto, but I wish they had because I would have learned of the tradition much sooner! Anyway, it's a merging of cultures. It's what America is and always has been about: the American way! And whether we're talking commercializing a holiday with candy or bread, such culture merging creates great new market opportunities... again, the American way! Just ask all the Hispanic bakers out there capitalizing on this holiday! Will they soon be adorning their Pan de Muerto with brown and orange M&M's? Or pre-packaging small bite-size Pan de Muerto for distribution to trick-or-treaters?

[Joe Ray]

Thanks, Charlie. It's absolutely about merging cultures and the Pan de Muerto w/ M&Ms sounds great and makes perfect sense. I want some, especially the small bite size muertos for trick or treating.

I still love peanut butter & jelly on flour tortillas. Food of the Gods for me.

A couple of years ago we were in Mazatlan in mid-October and went to a Ley Supermercado shopping and there were a lot of Halloween candy and items there. My cousin mentioned that a lot of the kids down there are totally into this holiday, since a lot of Americans have homes in the area on the beaches and marinas.

Total merging, like trade routes of old.

[James]

This holiday has shown up and is celebrated in World of Warcraft. go figure.