Have you ever wondered why Mexico celebrates the Day of the Dead? Perhaps you’ve even confused it with Halloween? Let’s discover el Día de Muertos together because let’s not forget that knowing and respecting cultures is an integral part of sustainable tourism.

Día de Muertos, an age-old tradition

The first traces of celebrations can be found in Mesoamerica, the region of Central America where the pre-Columbian peoples (Mayans, Aztecs, Zapotecs, Mixtecs, etc.) lived until the arrival of the Spanish in the 15th century. These peoples honoured the goddess of Death: Mictecacíhuatl. The rituals are accompanied by offerings and take place several times a year. Believers in the afterlife, death was merely a stage between earthly life and the “underworld”. To accompany their journey to the afterlife, the deceased are buried with a Xoloitzcuintli, a dog endemic to Mexico.

The arrival of the Spanish marked the beginning of the evangelisation of the Mexicans. Celebrations of the dead evolved with the spread of Catholicism. The date changed to coincide with All Saints’ Day, and Christian objects (candles, crosses, etc.) were added to the rituals. This fusion led to the evolution of rites up to the Día de Muertos we know today, which can be described as a syncretic between the cosmovision (conception of the universe, life and death) of pre-Hispanic peoples and Catholicism.

Since 2003, the Day of the Dead has been a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage for its contribution to Mexican culture. 1 November celebrates the dead children and 2 November the dead adults. Mexican families continue to erect altars in homage to their departed loved ones, and on All Saints’ Eve, life is reborn in Mexican cemeteries. Families go to find their loved ones, put flowers on the graves, light candles and pray.

If you’ve seen the 24th opus of James Bond 007 Spectre (2015) you should remember the opening scene that takes place in Mexico City during Day of the Dead. Since this movie, Mexico City organize every year a gigantic parade inspired by the film, that attracts millions of people. Día de Muertos moves from the private to the public sphere.

Pan de muerto is eaten throughout October, and the Catrina has become one of the most famous costumes in the world… If these words don’t ring a bell, we have made a short glossary of the most important words about Day of the Dead.

La Catrina

The Catrina is a female skeleton emblematic of the Day of the Dead. In 1910, the Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada drew the “Calavera Garbancera”, an elegant female skeleton. This caricature was a criticism of the Mexicans of the time, who wanted to look like Europeans. In the newspapers, Posada caricatured the opulence of the upper classes and the government through representations of skeletons.

In 1947, Diego Rivera painted the monumental fresco “Sueño de una tarde dominical en la alameda central”, in which he included Posada’s Calavera holding her creator by the arm to her right and Diego Rivera as a child by the hand to her left (with Frida Khalo, his wife, behind). The fresco became internationally famous and exported with it the female skeleton, now known as “La Catrina”. Indeed, the figure that has become an emblem of Mexican culture is now one of the most famous disguises in the world.

Offerings and altars

It is believed that the dead return to the earthly world to visit the living. To welcome them, Mexicans set up altars with various offerings (the tradition dates back to pre-Hispanic times): photos of the deceased, pan de muerto, calaveras (skulls), papel picado, personal items, cempasúchil flowers, salt, water, incense, candles, etc.

El papel picado

Papel picado means “cut paper”. This silk paper with a variety of motifs (flowers, birds, skulls, etc.) is used as banners in the streets and to decorate altars dedicated to the dead.

El pan de muerto

“Death bread” is a kind of brioche sprinkled with sugar, eaten from October onwards. It is one of the most emblematic dishes in Mexican cuisine. Its origins date back to pre-Hispanic times, when a bread made from amaranth and maize was presented to the gods as an offering. Its shape and recipe have evolved over the ages. Today, the circular shape represents the cycle of life. The small circle represents the skull of the deceased, and the 4 coils running from the centre represent his or her bones.