El Dia de los Muertos

By Lyon Mercaeant

For those of us who follow a Neo-Pagan path it is the time of year we turn inward, gathering what our personal harvests have brought to us and taking pause to remember our ancestors in the spirit of Samhain. Every culture in every time period has had its own unique beliefs and rituals surrounding death. Because this subject links us all, we find as many commonalities between practices and cultures as we do diverse ideas. We as Neo-Pagans, particularly those of us who do not follow a hard and structured Reconstructionist path from a specific culture, tend to incorporate varied practices into our seasonal celebrations. For instance, there are many parallels between the Mexican celebration of El Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) and some of the things I have seen in practice of our own holiday. So I have decided to explore some of these parallels, as well as gain further understanding of the traditions of The Day of the Dead itself. It can only benefit us the more we understand the roots of some of our modern practices as well as the practices of others. It can only help in creating more full traditions of our own without lack of respect or knowledge of the cultures from which we draw from.

The modern El Dia de los Muertos originated in ancient Mexico, long before the Spanish arrived and was observed by various native groups from the Aztec to the Maya, but most sources will lean most heavily toward what is known of the Aztec in their discussion. Originally observations of the celebration lasted an entire month and it was known as the feast of the goddess Mictecacihuatl, or The Lady of the Dead. The festivities were thought to have taken place in August. Aztec belief saw death as something to be embraced and not feared, and that it was simply a passing into another life in the next world. Some sources even say that death was what we would think of as “real life” and that this world was just a dream state while waiting to pass over. At this time, feasting, dancing and rituals would occur, as well as honoring of their ancestors. It is said that the skulls of those who had been killed in battle or who were offered as sacrifices (which conferred a significant honor upon the person who died in this manner) would be put on display as symbols of death and honor to the deceased.

When the Spanish arrived in Latin America, their own culture held very different ideas about death and how it should be treated. At first they attempted to ban the rituals and feasts of the holiday, but as with many indigenous beliefs around the world when encountered with Christianity, it was not able to be stamped out. What happened was The Day of the Dead melded into Catholicism and continued, albeit in slightly different form and substance. The holiday was moved to November 1st and 2nd to coincide with the Catholic observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, and it is still observed on these days today. It is thought that the spirits of deceased children return on the first day and on the second those of adults return for a visit.

It is important to note that how The Day of the Dead is celebrated depends on where you go. It isn’t a monolithic practice and its observance has spread all around the world as time goes on and people move, but even in Mexico, different places have their own unique traditions surrounding the day. I won’t spend a lot of time discussing the details of these differences; however I will discuss some of the better known traditions, their meanings and how it relates to our own observations of Samhain as Pagans.

The traditional idea of the Day of the Dead is that at this time, the souls of the departed can more easily come to visit us in this world, which is exactly one of the core ideas of the Pagan Samhain, with the thinning of the veil between worlds. The festival is one of both community and family as the living come together to honor their beloved dead and to affirm the relationship between death and life itself. On these days, it is customary for families to visit cemeteries and spend time picnicking near family plots, musicians will roam through playing the favorite songs of the deceased, and much time is spent cleaning up graves and decorating them with photos, wreaths of flowers and items that the deceased loved in life. The atmosphere is one similar to a family reunion. You will find people telling humorous stories about the departed, and it’s common for satires of public figures that have passed to be in the newspapers. Also at this time you will find the community coming together for parades and celebrating in the streets. It is common to see dancers wearing skulls (known as calacas) and skeletons whirling about, which probably seems pretty macabre to the outside observer. Much of Western culture is uncomfortable with death, it’s rarely spoken of, people try to separate ourselves from it, and many people have remarked that the celebrations even seem to mock death. But for observers of the Day of the Dead as well as Neo-Pagans, death is just another form of life, accepted and embraced as natural, something to be faced openly and honored.

Food is an important part of this celebration, for both the living and the dead. At this time it is traditional to make and purchase sugar skulls to be eaten, often painted with bright colors with the name of a departed written across the forehead. Also at this time bakeries will make special, sweet loaves of bread known as pan de muerto (Bread of the Dead). Another tradition in some places is candied pumpkin made with honey as well as chocolates, as well as the preparation of complex moles, along with foods that were favorites of those who have passed. These foods are shared and eaten among the living, and a place will sometimes be set at the table for the ancestors as well.

The favorite foods of those who have passed are also placed on an altar in a family’s home. These ofrendas are built in order to honor members of the family who have passed, as well as attract them to the home while the veil is thin, and much time and care are put into their construction. There is a lot of room for creativity in building a Day of the Dead altar, and your imagination is the only limit. Traditionally on the altar you will find marigolds, which are considered especially attractive to the spirits of the dead, again foods the deceased were fond of, photos of family who have passed, candles, any personal items the family still has that belonged to loved ones or other items that represent their interests or personality. Also included is incense, usually copal to be burned, religious items may be included such as crosses, images of saints or the Virgin Mary (or pentacles and other such items if you happen to be of a Pagan persuasion), water and liquor for the departed to refresh themselves with after traveling so far to come visit, and a loved one’s favorite music may be played. Sometimes salt may be left out as well for the departed to season their food with. These can be large and impressive constructions, or small and simple, depending upon your desire. After the food has been left out for the ancestors, it is then eaten by the living or given away because it is believed that the essence of the food has already been consumed by the visitors. It is also common to leave pillows and blankets out for the departed so they can rest themselves before returning to their lives after life.

Many of these traditions fit easily within things Pagans do during this time of year, and are things many of us do already. We too take time out to honor our ancestors and loved ones who have passed. We have similar views of death being an ending as well as a beginning, and not something to pretend doesn’t exist or to be held separate from the reality of our lives. Perhaps gathering together family and building an ofrenda of your own in addition to or as a part of your Samhain rituals would be a positive way to express devotion to the ancestors and make connections with loved ones who have crossed the veil. It would be a simple thing to set a place at the table at your Samhain feasts for the departed, or make a visit to the cemetery to leave a wreath of marigolds. All of these activities may help us learn some things we didn’t know about our roots and help us get to know those who have passed a little better as we put thought and care into preparing an altar or a meal for them. Which I definitely think fits into the spirit of Samhain very well.

If you would like to see an interactive example of a Day of the Dead ofrenda, check out http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/altar/ . In fact, the entire site is a great resource for learning about the Day of the Dead, so browse around a bit while you’re there if you’re interested!