Day of the Dead

On November 1st and 2nd, the Mexican people celebrate their loved ones who have passed on. The best way to describe this Mexican holiday is to say that it is a time when Mexican families remember their dead and at the same time, the continuity of life.

An important thing to know about the Mexican Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is that it is a holiday with a complex history, and therefore its observance varies quite a bit by region and by degree of urbanization. It is not a morbid occasion, but rather a festive time. Generally speaking, the holiday's activities consist of families welcoming their dead back into their homes, and also visiting the graves of their departed loved ones. At the cemetery, family members clean up the gravesite, decorate it with flowers, and set out and enjoy a picnic while visiting with other family and community members who gather there. In both cases, celebrants believe that the souls of the dead, the ánimas, return and are all around them.

The meals prepared for these picnics are sumptuous, usually featuring the foods the departed loved ones liked, such as the Yucatecan chicken and pork pot pie dish, mucbilpollo, and a special egg-batter bread, pan de muerto, or bread of the dead. Gravesites and family altars in the homes are profusely decorated with flowers (usually yellow, orange and purple), and adorned with religious amulets and with offerings of food, cigarettes and alcoholic beverages for the adults and toys for the children.

The traditional observance calls for departed children to be remembered Nov. 1st, the Day of the Little Angels, or Día de los Angelitos, and for adults to be remembered on the second day called All Saints, or Todos los Santos.

In the markets Lucas de Galvez and San Benito you will find colored candles that are used to decorate the altars, and sugar skulls with names on the foreheads that are also used. Both the candles and the skulls are unique to this time of year.

ALTAR EXHIBITIONS

On the Main Plaza: To preserve the tradition of setting up altars, the cultural department of the Federal Government in Mérida sponsors an exhibition of altars on October 31st from 11 am on. Taking place around the Main Plaza, there are some 80 altars set up by groups of Mayan people who come in from the villages in the interior of the state, government offices, schools and the private sector. Don't miss this wonderful, traditional, colorful event.

At La Ermita: The Municipal Government also has an event at La Ermita (Calle 66 between 77 and 79). Setting up starts at 2 pm, with the inaugural ceremony at 5 pm. Some 85 altars are presented by the different neighborhoods and commissaries of Mérida.

It is just within the last few years that we are seeing pumpkins and witches and the North American celebration of Halloween. With the introduction of Halloween, many Day of the Dead traditions are being lost. It is with this in mind that many institutions and families are working hard to keep our Mexican and Yucatecan traditions alive.

You will find altars in many restaurants, hotels, and certainly in the private homes. Casa de Piedra restaurant at the Hacienda X-Canatun has their altar on October 31st and serves mucbil pollo.

Kay Nicte at the Hotel Los Aluxes has bread of the dead all month long in November and mucbil pollos on the 1st and 2nd of November. 

ALTARS IN IZAMAL

The folk-art shop Hecho a Mano in Izamal is passionate about Day of the Dead. Located on the Main Plaza, they are known for setting up a spectacular altar using many of their original Day of the Dead folk art pieces that they also sell in the shop. Their altar is presented by JP (Jeanne) Hunt in remembrance of her partner in life, folk-art collector Hector Garza who passed away recently. Hector was passionate about Day of the Dead and did many a buying trip acquiring folk-art relating to Day of the Dead. Many remember Hector as being the king of Day of the Dead altars and paraphernalia.