Día de los Muertos

Día de los Muertos occurs over 2 days in conjunction with the Catholic holy days of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day on November 1st and 2nd.  On October 31st, some people celebrate Halloween much to the dismay of many (especially the Catholic Church in Mexico) who consider it an unholy U.S. holiday that has infiltrated their traditions.  

November 1st is Día de los Inocentes (honoring deceased children and infants) and November 2nd is Día de los Muertos (honoring deceased adults).  The belief is that it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living during these days.  In preparation for the visit, families build private altars in their homes with favorite foods, beverages, memorabilia and photos of the deceased.  Sugar skulls, marigolds, beer and tequila are popular items.  Pan de muerto is a popular bread made especially for these days, it looks like a loaf of bread with fingers on the top.  Children trick-or-treat for 3 nights singing a song about a calavera (skull) that is hungry and needs candy (or pesos for food).

On the night of the 1st, one of Reed's colleagues took us to Ocotepec (very close to Cuernavaca) for a tradition that is specific to this town, La Nueva Ofrenda.  Families who have had someone die in the past year open their homes to visitors in exchange for veladoras (small white candles) to show respect to the dead.  The visitors receive pan de muerto or tamales and coffee or warm juice.  We took candles to six homes.  We waited in line on the street (there must have been 100 people in line at some homes), received coffee or juice when we entered the yard, walked into the house and past the altar that the family had set up for their loved one.  The raised altar contained a sugar skull, the clothing of the deceased laid out in form of the person and at the foot of the altar, the person's picture, favorite food, drink and memorabilia.  Family members sat to the side of the altar and accepted candles from people filing past.  As we left, we were handed a tamale or pan de muerto.  Most houses had places for people to sit in their yard to eat and drink.  It was a very interesting but sad experience.

The next day, we went back to Ocotepec to see the cemetery.  On this day, the families go to the graves to clean, decorate and spread marigolds on top or candles if they received them the night before.  People were selling food out front, a band was playing and mass was scheduled at noon.  The cemetery was packed with family members decorating the graves and it looked as though they were staying the entire day!  

For pictures, click on this link:  http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/DADeLosMuertos#

Coming next:  Las Catrinas in the Jardin Borda!