El Día de los Muertos es una fiesta muy importante en el país de México y otros lugares con grandes poblaciones de hispanos, particularmente mexicanos. Se celebra del treinta y uno de octubre al dos de noviembre. Hay muchas tradiciones en este día de fiesta. Muchas de estas tradiciones se remontan a los tiempos previos a la llegada de Cristóbal Colón y los pueblos indígenas.
Estas tradicciones se han mezclados y fusionados con el catolicismo romano desde la llegada de los españoles al hemisferio occidental. Cráneos y esqueletos son símbolos populares para este día de fiesta. Algunas de estas tradiciones hoy en día incluyen las contrución de altares y de ofrendas para sus seres queridos, visitas a las tumbas de aquellos que han fallecidos para honrarlos.
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Muchas personas también se visten con atuendos elaborados, pintan sus rostros, y pasean por las calles tocando música. Esto es especialmente frecuente en los Estados Unidos, donde las ciudades con grandes poblaciones hispanas también tienen sus propios eventos para conmemorar este día de fiesta. En general, el día de los muertos ayuda a la gente a honrar, recordar y celebrar la vida de los seres queridos que han fallecido. También une los diferentes miembros de la comunidad.
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On October 31st, millions of children across the United States of America dress up for Halloween, with costumes ranging from elaborate princess outfits to draping bed sheets over their heads to act as ghosts. While this is one of the most popular festivities in our nation, across Latin America, particularly Mexico, the 31st of October marks the beginning of The Day of the Dead, which lasts until November 2nd.
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The origins of The Day of the Dead dates back thousands of years. When the Spaniards first arrived to the Americas, they had discovered that the indigenous peoples had been honoring the dead through celebrations for thousands of years. The conquerors decided that it was not feasible to destroy these ancient traditions, and eventually syncretism occurred, with elements of Roman Catholicism blending together with characteristics and features of the indigenous peoples, such as the Aztec. The Day of the Dead is a symbol of the fusion of these two vastly different belief systems. Skeletons and skulls are the most popular and commonly-viewed representations of The Day of the Dead, and the tradition of using these items dates before the arrival of Christopher Columbus as symbols of death, sacrifice, and rebirth. However, images of skeletons and skulls began to be used as folk art in the 1700s, with them being plastered onto pottery, masks, toys, and many other items. These works of art today are collectively known as calaveras. Calaveras have become extremely popular in Mexican marketplaces today, especially towards the time of The Day of the Dead.
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In Latin America and parts of the United States with large Hispanic populations, people celebrate The Day of the Dead from October 31st to November 2nd with numerous traditions. In this holiday, people remember and honor their deceased family members and welcome their spirits. They await the spirits of the dead to visit with constructed altars in which they place ofrendas (offerings) on the altar to welcome them. These ofrendas can range from large and elaborate to very simple. Some of the items offered include foods and drink that that person enjoyed such as pan dulce (sweet bread), pan de muerto (bread of the dead), and many sweets. Photos of the deceased person are also included in the altar as well. Altars also have multiple levels to them, and pictures of saints, icons, crucifixes, and other religious objects make up the top one. There is also the presence of calaveras in these alters. Ofrendas can also range depending on the age of the person who has passed on. For example, children who have died, or usually have toys placed at their altar. For adults, alcoholic beverages such as tequila are placed as well. However, the altars and ofrendas also differ by region, which is particularly prevalent in Mexico.
Many Mexicans also head for cemeteries during The Day of the Dead, in which they honor the deceased and at times adorn the graves with decorations and offerings as well. Furthermore, altars are also sometimes built here. Flowers are also extremely important to The Day of the Dead with the most popular type being orange marigolds. They are utilized as a welcome to attract the spirit of the person to the offerings. It is also tradition for there to be drawings and sculptures and other forms of art of calacas (a colloquial term for skeleton in Mexico), which are skeletons wearing clothes. Calacas are usually wearing elaborate attire, including traditional dress, flowers, and foliage. They are usually presented as jubilant characters, sometimes displayed as playing musical instruments or even dancing as well. This exemplifies a commonly held belief for people to happily celebrate the souls and lives of those who have left them. Many people paint their faces with intricate designs of skulls, and dress in traditional attire, parading through the streets with music and dances, such as Mariachi. The most important principle of this three-day event is that people are able to maintain their connections to those that they have lost through the celebration of their life and honoring them as well.
Although very significant in the nation of Mexico, the Day of the Dead is also gaining traction in the United States of America as well. In New York City, there are a wide range of activities hosted by Mano a Mano: Mexican Culture Without Borders, a non-profit organization, to mark the annual Day of the Dead. From October 27th to 29th of 2017, for example, an altar building workshop was held, there was a marketplace to sell goods specific for the holiday, and a Mariachi performance. In Los Angeles, a city with a large Mexican population, Olvera Street has held celebrations and events that for multiple days on end, filled with craft workshops, performances displaying traditional dances of the indigenous peoples of Central America, and much more. There are a multitude of celebrations in other American cities that mark this special holiday as well, including Austin and San Antonio, Texas, which also have a large Mexican presence and history as well. With the United States of America becoming ever more diverse, it is significant for the public to learn more about the many traditions and holidays of other groups to foster and bridge and understanding between different communities.