Halloween, (All Hallows Eve), based on an ancient Celtic holiday, Samhein and the Catholic holiday, All Saints Day and All Souls Day, was originally celebrated to mark the end of the harvest season. People gathered to light large bon fires and feast on apples, nuts, and harvest fruits. Customs and celebrations to honor the end of the harvest, the change of the seasons, and the passage of life into death, come together in many traditions celebrated at this time of the year.
Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and in other Hispanic cultures throughout the world. When the Spanish colonized Mexico and other western lands, their religious holy days, All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day, and All Soul’s Day became intertwined with more ancient indigenous traditions. Dia de Los Muertos, is celebrated by Hispanic cultures to celebrate the memories of ancestors and to celebrate the continuity of life. Dia de los Muertos is celebrated on Nov. 1 (All Saints’ Day) and 2 (All Souls’ Day). The actual date of celebration varies according to local and traditional customs.
Many traditional cultures celebrate death as a passage to a higher level or return to God with holidays to honor their ancestors. The holiday in Mexico dates back thousands of years to an indigenous Aztec celebration of the goddess Michtecacihuat. In Brazil the day is called, Dia de Finados, and is celebrated as a public holiday. In Spain and other former Spanish colonies like the Philippines, Dia de Los Muertos is time for family gatherings, festivals, parades, and time spent at cemeteries cleaning and decorating family grave sites. Families welcome the souls of the dead through these customs. Many African and Asian cultures celebrate similar types of holidays to honor ancestors at different times of the year and with different customs.
One of the customs practiced for Dia de Los Muertos is the building of family altars to honor departed ancestors. Traditionally, the altar consists of four sides and four levels, representing the four stages of life and the four directions. The four seeds used in building the altar include tomatillo, corn, chile, and cacao. Each of the four elements is represented in the altar, fire (candle), air (flute, feather), earth, and water (shell). Each of the four stages of life are represented in the four growth stages of corn (seed, fresh, dried, and corn used in different foods like tortillas and tamales). For information on building an Dia de Los Muertos altar, go to: gomexico.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/ht/make_altar.htm
Offerings are also included on the altar, including salt, sugar, and maize (corn), flowers, platanos (bananas), and oranges. A special pan de muerto (bread of the dead), a paper skeleton, and a glass of water are also part of the altar. Visit some of the websites to see examples of Dia de los Muertos altars: http://www.olvera-street.com/html/altar.html, http://www.ladayofthedead.com/index.htmhttp://www.artistasunidos.org/artistcall.htm
Look back at your own family and culture, and explore some of the customs that your family's customs. What are some of the customs you still celebrate, and what are the stories that are told about your ancestors? Share your own traditions and history with your children and grandchildren. One way we keep our family’s history and memories alive is by sharing our recollections. How does your family honor its ancestors? Some families keep a book, often the Bible, to record births, deaths, marriages, and other important events. At both my Father’s and Uncle’s memorials, our family gathered at the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon. Because both men were WWII veterans, we made certain their personal stories of valiant service were told, and we made sure they were given full military honors. The presences of the Marine honor guard in full dress and their reverence for our family’s loss left a lasting impression on all of us, young and old. Then as part our our indigenous traditions, we gathered at the river to scatter Father's ashes and ask for blessings for him. As we enter the holiday season, enjoy sharing stories with your grandchildren and children. Begin to recapture some of your family’s cultural history as you connect your grandchildren and children to the the richness of their past.
An maybe consider starting some new traditions or learning about new ones. In San Francisco, there will be a Dia de Los Muertos procession to celebrate the Day of the Dead. You are invited to participate in the procession which will be held on Monday, November 2, at 7:00 PM 24th and Bryant Streets in the Mission District. The procession ends in Garfield Park where altars will be on display. The Dia de Los Muertos website also gives instructions for making altars if you would like to make one and bring it to display.
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