How Dia de los Muertos Evolved
Dia de los Muertos is a holiday celebrated worldwide, though mainly in Mexico/ Mexican households. It is a celebration in which we invite those we have lost back to the land of the living. The roots of Día de los Muertos begin in the Aztec culture with the celebration of “Miccailhuitontli.” This holiday took place during the 9th month of the Aztec calendar; it was a celebration of the lady of the dead Mictēcacihuātl. It was believed by the Aztecs that Mictēcacihuātl’s job was to watch over the bones of the past lives; these bones were used to make new life in the land of the living. Once a year, she would ascend to the land of the living to see if the bones were being properly cared for. Once Mictēcacihuātl arrived, the Aztecs would hold the celebration. Miccailhuitontli’s transformation into modern-day Dia de los Muertos begins with the Spanish conquistadores colonizing the Americas. The Spanish conquistadores began to merge Miccailhuitontli with their own celebration, All Saints Day. During this holiday, the living would decorate their loved ones’ graves & bring food to them; finally, they would light the way for the dead to return to their families. Miccailhuitontli began to be lost to time due to how much the Spanish overtook the Aztecs’ culture, though this was changed. During the mid-20th century, the Chicano movement was on the rise (a movement that aimed for social & political equity for Mexicans). The Chicano movement emphasized indigenous traditions, one of which was Dia de los Muertos, the result of Miccailhuitontli’s & All Saints’ Day’s mixing.
The Traditions & icons of Dia de los Muertos
The origins of Ofrendas started with origins in All Saints Day, with the traditions of decorating & bringing food to their loved ones’ graves evolved to create their own personal ofrenda for all of their loved ones. A tradition from All Saints Day that was later echoed by Dia de los Muertos is that people would light the path for their deceased loved ones to make their way back to their families, which evolved to making a path of light to a path of marigolds. Food is also important on All Saints’ Day, such as the bread pan de animas. After the colonization of Mexico, pan de animas evolved into what we now know as Pan de Muerto, a bread flavored by orange zest, anise seeds, & sometimes orange blossom water. Mictēcacihuātl also evolved; her protection of bones is still relevant today, as in modern-day Dia de los Muertos, Calacas (skeletons) are often used as a visual representation of the holiday. Most important are the calaveras (sugar skulls), which are often used as decorations, though ones made entirely out of icing & sugar can be eaten. A very important & iconic figure in Dia de los Muertos is the Catrina, whose origins are much more recent than other figures & traditions in this holiday. The popularization of calacas, calaveras, & the creation of La Catrina can be attributed to José Guadalupe Posada, a cartoonist from the early 20th century. His works were originally made as a mockery of politicians & to comment on revolutionary things going on in politics. His work was eventually removed from the political context it started in & became iconic for its contribution to dia de los Muertos.|
Dia de los Muertos, though a product of colonization & conquest, still symbolizes a beautiful fact that, though our loved ones are not here physically, they will always be there for us spiritually.
