What is Day of the Dead?
Whilst it is our theme for our Halloween event on Monday 29th October, ‘Día de los Muertos’, or Day of the Dead, is not a Mexican version of Halloween. Though related, the two annual events differ greatly in traditions and tone. Whereas Halloween is a dark night of terror and mischief, Day of the Dead festivities unfold over two days in an explosion of colour and life-affirming joy. Whilst the theme is death, the point is to demonstrate love and respect for the deceased. In towns and cities throughout Mexico, and may other part of Latin America, and the world, revellers don fun makeup and costumes, hold parades and parties, sing and dance, and make offerings to lost loved ones.
Day of the Dead originated several thousand years ago with the Aztec, Toltec, and other peoples of South America, who considered mourning the dead disrespectful. For these cultures, death was a natural phase in life’s cycle. The dead were still members of the community, kept alive in memory and spirit—and during Día de los Muertos, they temporarily returned to Earth. Today’s Día de los Muertos celebration is a mash-up of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Christian feasts. It principally takes place on November 1 and 2—All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on the Catholic calendar—around the time of the autumn harvest.
Calavera Catrina, or elegant skull, is the Day of the Dead’s most ubiquitous symbol. However, the Catrina was used and popularised as satire by early 20th century cartoonist and lithographer, Jose Guadalupe Posada, to point out how Mexican society was trying to emulate perceived European sophistication, at the cost of their own cultural heritage; the quote “Todos somos calaveras,” commonly attributed to Posada, means “we are all skeletons.” Underneath all our manmade trappings, we are all the same. Nowadays revellers of the festival paint their face in the style of the Catrina as a means of mocking death, symbolising their willingness to laugh at death itself, telling death that they are not afraid.
Day of the Dead is an extremely social holiday that spills into streets and public squares at all hours of the day and night. Dressing up as skeletons is part of the fun. People of all ages have their faces artfully painted to resemble skulls, and don suits and fancy dresses. Many revellers wear shells or other noisemakers to ramp up the excitement—and also possibly to rouse the dead and keep them close during the fun. It is with spirit that we hope you engage with and enjoy our day of the dead evening event, and invite you to make offerings to your ancestors at our ‘Ofrenda’, a day of the dead altar, at the event or in the Vault on November 2nd.
