Exploring Mexican Tradition: A Fusion of Honor, Art and Humor
Jose Antonio Madrazo
The Day of the Dead, a revered tradition and annual holiday in Mexico, serves as a poignant occasion to honor and commemorate departed family members and friends. This solemn observance takes place on the 1st and 2nd of November each year.
They believe that the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31, and the spirits of all deceased children (angelitos) are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours. On November 2, the spirits of the adults come down to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them.
In most Indian villages, beautiful altars (ofrendas) are made in each home. They are decorated with candles, buckets of flowers (wild marigolds called cempasuchil & bright red cock’s combs) mounds of fruit, peanuts, plates of turkey mole, stacks of tortillas and big Day-of-the-Dead breads called pan de muerto. The altar needs to have lots of food, bottles of soda, hot cocoa and water for the weary spirits. Toys and candies are left for the angelitos, and on Nov. 2, cigarettes and shots of mezcal are offered to the adult spirits. Little folk art skeletons and sugar skulls, purchased at open-air markets, provide the final touches.
Day of the Dead is a very expensive holiday for these self-sufficient, rural-based, indigenous families. Many spend over two month’s income to honor their dead relatives. They believe that happy spirits will provide protection, good luck and wisdom to their families. Ofrendabuilding keeps the family close.
On the afternoon of Nov. 2, the festivities are taken to the cemetery. People clean tombs, play cards, listen to the village band and reminisce about their loved ones. Tradition keeps the village close. Day of the Dead is becoming very popular in the U.S. ~ perhaps because we don’t have a way to celebrate and honor our dead, or maybe it’s because of our fascination with its mysticism.
The humor in Day of the Dead art often finds its roots in Mexican political cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada. Posada created a famous print of a costumed female with a skeleton face named “Catrina.”
His Catrina and other calaveras (skulls) satirized the rich and fashionable to show that, despite their pretensions of importance, they were just as susceptible to death as anyone else.
This tradition of humor in the face of life and death carries on today in the colonial workshop of Cielito Lindo Estudio where we create a fun and growing catalog of rich Mexican folk art.
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What is the Day of the Dead?
(National Geographic)
Day of the Dead is an interesting holiday celebrated in central and southern Mexico November 1 & 2. Even though this coincides with the Catholic holiday called All Soul’s & All Saint’s Day, the indigenous people have combined this with their own ancient beliefs of honoring their deceased loved ones.
The tradition includes building altars (ofrendas) at home that reflect upon the character and life of loved ones with offerings that include sugar skulls, marigolds, and their personal earthly pleasures such as a glass of beer, a cigar, bread, or chocolates.
