Although their flesh may have disappeared, their cultural associations have not. The dead are a part of the living community, participating in the same way they did in life.
The half-decorated calacas and calaveras recognize this duality. Every human being, no matter how beautiful or well-dressed, will eventually be exposed as nothing more than a skeleton and skull. Dia de los Muertos celebrates death as a part of the human experience: Every living thing will eventually die.In some of these photos, masks and other decorations are only half-decorated with calacas and calaveras.Spanish explorers were also more likely to marry indigenous people, creating a hybrid ( mestizo) culture where such cultural adaptation is a way of life. They adapted Aztec traditions with All Saints Day to create Dia de los Muertos, where elements of both celebrations are retained. Catholic missionaries often incorporated native influences into their religious teachings. Protestant British and Catholic Spanish explorers had wildly different approaches to the native populations they colonized.Few French citizens marked the day at all. Even though both Spain and France were Catholic nations, for instance, Spanish citizens celebrated All Saints Day with family reunions, feasts, and festivals. National traditions influence religious celebrations. and Canada were colonized mostly by the British and French. Latin America was largely colonized by Spain and Portugal, while the U.S.All Saints Day and All Souls Day are more important in the Catholic calendar than the Protestant calendar. Though both Christian, these traditions have different religious calendars, and honor saints and holy days in different ways. Latin America was largely colonized by Catholics, while northern North America was largely colonized by Protestants.They would be unlikely to adopt Dia de los Muertos rituals. The Aztec Empire’s influence extended throughout present-day Mexico and Central America, while few Native Americans of the present-day U.S. Dia de los Muertos has its origins in Aztec traditions honoring the dead.Why do you think this is not a more widely celebrated American or Canadian holiday? In the United States and Canada, the tradition exists only in areas with a large Latin American population, such as Los Angeles or Vancouver. Dia de los Muertos is celebrated throughout Latin America, including South America and the Caribbean.Read the brief background information, and see if you can answer the questions (reproduced here). Read through our “media spotlight” photo gallery on Dia de los Muertos.This exhibit from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts might give you some ideas.What would you suggest for your own ofrenda? This writer has a suggested list of items she’d like on her own ofrenda-items that represent how she would like to be remembered, from an eyebrow pencil (“because I can leave the house without any make-up on, just not without putting on my eyebrows first”) to preferred foods (“don’t forget to include coffee, chocolate chip cookies, Sabritas adobadas (seasoned potato chips), and Dulce de Calabaza (candied pumpkin)”). People celebrating Dia de los Muertos create ofrendas for friends, family members, and even celebrities who have passed away. An altar de muertos, sometimes called an ofrenda, is a small, personal altar representing the life of one person.Do you or people in your community celebrate Dia de los Muertos? How?.Photograph by Laura Hasbun, National Geographic Your Shot Although most strongly identified with Mexico, Dia de los Muertos is celebrated throughout Latin America and everywhere with a Latino population, including Los Angeles, California, above. How beautiful is this photo? Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a two-day festival that takes place every November 1 and 2. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers’ Toolkit. Use our resources to better understand Dia de los Muertos! Is Dia de los Muertos-the Day of the Dead, celebrated by Latinos around the world-”The Next New American Holiday”? This infographic makes a convincing case! (Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum) #TBT alert! This blog post was originally published on October 31, 2013!
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