The Day of the Dead - a custom of Mexico

I recently returned from a 3-week holiday exploring Mexico. It was my first-time visiting Mexico and learning about its culture. It was also my first post covid overseas trip and I just wanted to go and did not really plan too carefully. Oh sure, I did a few Utube views of 'must sees' and 'best food tours' etc but I really did not know a lot about its culture and history.

Well as I travel though this land, I heard a lot about many different cultures, invasions, and rulers (the Aztecs and Mayans are only a few of at least 5 or more cultures in Mexico). I retained some of what I heard as I travelled about this rich culture in my crush course of Mexico but, one thing that did stay with me and the Day of the Dead tradition. Of course, I had herd of this holy event but did not know a lot about its origins and why it was so important.

I had planned to travel in October and early November (mainly to avoid the hurricane season) and this happened to coincide with the Day of the Dead or as the Mexican say El Dia de Muertos. 

This religious holiday and now cultural celebration all but engulfs the country for 3-4 weeks prior the 2nd November as every town prepares their homes and public spaces with decorations and for celebrations.

Usually, larger towns and cities hold celebrations and parades leading up to the day and I could see that there would have been lots of planning and practice by many in the community. These events involve all parts of the community as schools and most organisations within each town gets involved.

But I am getting ahead of myself, as you need to know what is the Day fo the Dead and why is it so important.

The actual day is November 2nd, but it is also celebrated the day before.

The day of the dead is based loosely on Catholic faith which many Mexicans are, and All Saints Day (a catholic holy day) is the 1st November, but Mexico also has many older faiths like voodoo so the day a is a blend of many faiths. They believe that soles of past loved ones on this day are closest to our realm of reality and therefore can cross over and visit them from the underworld. The underworld to the Mexicans is not hell but heaven. Their loved ones are near, so they want to prepare their homes and be ready for when they visit.

They also decorate and build private altars (ofrendas) to both honour their loved ones and to tempt them to visit. This is why most homes, workplaces and public areas now are decorated with beautiful marigold flowers (the flowers of the day) and other decorations. They include images of their loved ones and items that they like. If Uncle Alberto loved whisky and bananas, then these are placed on the altar. These are beautiful to see and make for special and interesting monuments that are a window into the type of person there were, and we can see how much they are loved and missed.

I particularly loved some homes I saw in the countryside that were decorated and had the front walkways strung with flowers so that it was like a guide to encourage the souls of the dead to enter the house.

The days leading up to the 2nd of November are busy as Mexican clean their house from top to bottom it ensure it is presented at its best to, they dead loved ones. The day and evening prior the 2nd is usually spent at home in quiet reflection as this is when they believe they may visit.

The actual day of the dead is usually spent at the cemetery where again they graves are all decorated with beautiful flowers.

The entire community can be found here, and they remain there the entire day, eating, drinking, and celebrating their lives with music.

I was lucky enough to be driving though a small village on this day and the road to the cemetery was blocked as the entire community was there with food trunks, carnival rides and bands playing music. It was a real celebration of community.

I believe this is how the larger major cities started the tradition of celebrations before the day of the dead with parades.

Mexico City, Oaxaca, Merida for example, all hold large parades on evenings before the 'day'. Halloween is also on the 31st of October and often also celebrated during this time with children’s trick or treating, dancing and music most nights. Beautiful costumes, music, dancing, and fireworks are all part of the event. It’s amazing as the entire city is there lining the streets to either watch and dance or take part in the parades.

The Mexicans really know how to party and its impossible not to get into it too! This Holy event is really a magically opportunity to get a true insight into the culture of its past but also of today.