A Mexican with the typical make-up for the Day of the Dead in Mexico. His face is made up like a skull. He has a yellow flower in his hair. He is wearing a white shirt and a brown jacket. You can see a strap of his backpack. He is holding some of the same flowers he has in his hair. He is standing in front of a yellowish wall that merges into a glass surface at the top. To his right is a door frame, which shows that the photo was taken from inside a room. You can see the outside world, a woman who seems to be waiting for something.

Día de los muertos - The day of the dead

by
All Around The World

Anna Sophia carefully places her grandmother's necklace on the small table. Her favorite cake is already there, right next to a pack of cigarettes. She wants her grandma to feel good when she finally comes home again. After eight years in the realm of the dead.

The Mexican Día de los muertos is now also known in this country. However, the "Day of the Dead" does not have much to do with the commemoration of the dead as we know it in Austria. Depending on the region, the deceased are commemorated differently. The Día de los Muertos or Hanal Pixan, as it is called in Yucatán, lasts several days. The main celebration takes place from the end of October to the beginning of November. However, preparations for it begin earlier.

The procedure

It starts with a major clean of the whole house. Everything should be tidy and clean when the dead come to visit. And they don't just stay for a day or two. The deceased's loved ones spend the whole of November in their family home. It goes without saying that people treat each other very respectfully during this period. If you hit each other on the finger with a hammer, you'd better refrain from swearing.

A few days before the arrival of the deceased, the altar, also known as the ofrenda, is prepared. It is intended to give the deceased the feeling of being at home and, above all, that they have not been forgotten.

In addition to flowers (cempasúchil), candles, a small skull made of sugar and a photo of the deceased, their favorite food is also placed on a table. A journey from the realm of the dead makes you hungry and thirsty. Water and a sweet bread decorated with bones made of dough (pan de muerto) can also be found on the ofrenda.

Of course, objects that were important to the loved one should not be missing. For example, a bottle of Scotch can be placed next to a Bible on an ofrenda. Incidentally, it is not necessary for the altar to be in the room of the loved one. It is usually placed in the entrance area.

A colorfully decorated altar for the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. In the middle is a large picture of a deceased person, the table is filled with orange flowers, white candles, a bottle of water and several bottles of lemonade are also on the table. The table stands in front of a white forehand, which is also decorated with flower garlands.
A typical ofrenda for the Day of the Dead in Mexico.
  • On October 27, the time has come. The first visitors arrive. On this day, Mexicans welcome the souls of their beloved pets. An altar (ofrenda) is also prepared for them. Dog cookies, chewing bones and the water bowl can be found on it.
  • The next day, the 28th, is reserved for the arrival of loved ones who have died in a tragic or unexpected event. Incidentally, several altars are not set up in the house, one is always redecorated.
  • October 29 is reserved for the "Anima Sola", the souls of people who have been forgotten by their own families.
  • The arrival of the deceased children and babies on October 30 and 31 is particularly emotional for the Mexican families.
  • On the day we go to the graves in Austria, November 1st, the relatives are welcomed.

Candles are placed by the front door so that all souls can find their way to the house. The Mexicans go to the cemetery on November 2, All Souls' Day. After a church service, a so-called "Novena", a nine-day commemoration of the dead, takes place in the house.

You spend time with the deceased

In some parts of Mexico, it is customary to spend time with the deceased at their graves. So it is not uncommon to see a man with a tequila bottle sitting at a grave telling stories about the deceased. Naturally, there is a filled glass on the grave so that the grandfather can drink along.

Mexican cemeteries are rather colorful. The gravestones are brightly painted. In this picture you can see red and green gravestones standing in a meadow. There are also some classic, stone-colored gravestones.
Some of the graves in Mexican cemeteries are colorful.

Dealing with death in Mexico is different. Of course, people are just as afraid. However, death is seen more as "part of the circle of life" there. The inevitable is talked about openly with children from a certain age. You can see this in the colorful parades that take place on Día de los Muertos. People take part in the celebrations in traditional dress as La Catrina. Death is not seen as something terrible, but rather as a new beginning. A view that certainly has something going for it ...

Sources: National Geographic about the Dia de los muertos

Conversations with Emiliano (Mexico) and Giovanna Noh (Mexico - Yucatán)

Image rights:

Cover picture: Emiliano A. 

Picture of the altar: Giovanna Ortiz Noh

Picture of the cemetery of Mérida: Ingrid Müller

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