Day of the Dead, also known as Dia de Muertos, is a popular Mexican holiday celebrated every year on November 1st and 2nd. However, including the arrangements and extended festivities, the festival can span between October 31st and November 6th. While the festival is native to Mexico, numerous other countries also celebrate it, especially the United States. Here is everything you need to know about Day of the Dead 2022.
Why is the Day of the Dead Celebrated?
Families that lost their loved ones are usually the ones celebrating the holiday the most. Day of the Dead honors the souls of these deceased family members. It is believed that each year around this time, the souls that have passed come back to the land of the living. While the holiday may seem like a gleam sad occasion, it is, in fact, full of colors and music and festivities. Each year, certain areas of the house get decorated with bright colors and flowers to welcome the souls. These decorated areas are Ofrendas and are a standard part of the celebrations.
When is Day of the Dead 2022?
Similar to each year, Day of the Dead 2022 will be held on the 1st and 2nd November of this year. The two-day celebration divides the holiday into two parts. The first day, also known as Día de Los Angelitos, is dedicated to the young children that passed away. To welcome these young souls, family members set up the classic Ofrenda. For children, the Ofrenda contains their favourite coloured decorations and flowers. Family members place some of the children’s favourite candies and snacks on the Ofrenda. The second day, also known as Día de Los Difuntos, focuses largely on welcoming the souls of the adults. For the older souls, the alter contains pan de Muerto, wine, tequila, and other items loved by them during their life.
History of Day of the Dead
The festival to honour the dead dates back to about 3000 years. The ancient indigenous Mexicans performed unique rituals and traditions to celebrate their ancestors that passed away. However, the name “Day of the Dead” is a fairly recent one. Although the festival now occurs in the winter, its actual day dates to the ninth month of the Aztec calendar. Conversely, in older practices, the festival took place throughout the ninth month, as compared to now.
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The more recent change to November for Day of the Dead occurred following the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century. They did so to make it align with the catholic calendar that celebrates All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day.
In the 1900s, these long festivities condensed down to a three-day period. The fast-paced life of the more modern times could largely contribute to this shortening. With people becoming busier, time became money, and a month-long festival just did not make much sense. Further, it also overlapped with Thanksgiving and other winter holidays. The 3-day celebrations consisted of October 31st: Halloween, November 1st: Day of the Innocents, and November 2nd: Day of the Dead.
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While it is common to confuse the Day of the Dead with Halloween, the two are very separate occasions with different historical backgrounds. Halloween’s history dates back to the Celtic era and its traditions and consists majorly of scary costumes and other spooky connotations. However, Day of the Dead pays tribute to those that passed away and is an attempt to reunite the deceased with their family members (in spirit, at least).
Day of the Dead Beliefs
Amongst its various historic features is also La Catrina (the lady of the dead). Old history names Lady of the Dead as Mictecacihuatl. She lives in the underworld with her husband Miclantecuhtl and guards the bones of the dead. The Aztecs believed that La Catrina protected the dead after they shifted onto the other side. Some believe that she helps the souls pass through the final stages of their lives and help make death easier. La Catrina’s skeleton is quite popular during the time of the festival. It adorns a hat full of feathers and bright, colorful makeup.
The current outlook of La Catrina came into being by the infamous cartoon artist Jose Guadalupe Posada. Frida Kahlo’s husband, David Rivera, added Jose’s version of La Catrina to a mural dedicated to Mexican history. He named the mural “Dreams of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park.” It portrayed a young child and a man holding La Catrina’s hand walking through the park.
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Traditions of Day of the Dead
Like most holidays, Day of the Dead has its own unique traditions. It is these traditions that make the day all the more special.
Calaveras (skulls) are probably the most common decoration put out for a holiday. Amongst these, a popular Calavera is the sugar Calavera. It represents the deceased and often has their name written on the top with numerous colorful decorations around the face.
Pan de Muerto is a sugar-coated bread specific to the holiday. Family members place the bread on the Ofrenda for the souls of the dead. It has hints of orange and anise in it, and the top looks like bones (made from bread). Families believe that their deceased loved ones come and eat the bread to feed their souls.
Marigold flowers adorn the Ofrendas and the parts of the house solely for the dead during this time., making them the most common flower of the holiday. These flowers attract spirits with their bright colors and beautiful scents.
Ofrendas are unique to the holiday as well. These are parts of the house solely for the dead during this time. To make their visit a pleasant one, family members decorate the ofrendas with pictures of the deceased, beautiful flowers, food, and other decorations.