noviembre: Dia de los Muertos

CULTURAL EXPLANATION OF DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (Day of the Dead):
It is celebrated the 1st and 2nd of November each year. It is a holiday to remember our loved ones that passed away and, like many holidays in the US, there is a wide variation of family involvement - some families go all out and some only do the most basic.
"Ofrendas" (offerings/altars) are created in family homes and can be elaborately decorated with orange and pink flowers, candles, Pan de Muerto (Bread of the dead), "calaveras" (sugar skulls), "papeles picados" (intricately cut tissue paper), photos of the deceased loved ones, the family member's favorite foods and drinks, and favorite keepsakes or trinkets of the person. The most important part of the ofrendas is: a glass of water for the spirit to drink when they arrive, the candle to light their path, and the smell of the flowers to guide them to their home. Some people are much more certain that the spirit, if not an invisible incarnation of the person, visits the family and the home. They believe that the dead come and eat the food set out and pass that time with the family. Other families (and seemingly the majority) do not necessarily believe that an actual dead person comes and visits but these families continue to share in the traditions.





"Catrina" is an image also associated with Dia de los Muertos - a skeleton of a woman dressed elegantly and normally wearing a large hat. It is from a mural by Mexican painter Diego Rivera, "Sueño de una tarde Dominical en la Alameda" and she is often associated with the fleeting existence of earthly wealth and presentation. Even as a skeleton, powerful people still surround her, she is impeccably dressed and she is smiling widely to show her happiness with her place in life. Here in Cuernavaca, local artists and organizations created 8-foot tall papier mache Catrinas. By the end of the weekend, they were voted on and one was named the Catrina of Cuernavaca.





Many families visit the local cemetery during these days as well. In fact, so many people came that the major street near our home was entirely stopped up. Some families visit and bring flowers, similar to what we do in the US, and other families put "ofrendas" at their loved one's gravesite and pass the night with the spirit of those past.


So, now that you are all caught up a bit on that. I will share what I experienced here in Cuenavaca.

I got sick. I got hit with some fun foreign stomach funk on Wednesday, skipped my afternoon work to lay in bed, and popped some Immodium and went to Heidi’s apartment to meet with other volunteers to create our own ofrenda and have a service of sorts to remember our own loved ones, especially for Sarah to process the recent news that one of her friends from the US was murdered days earlier. It was a beautiful evening despite my strange state of health. We all shared stories and memories about our loved ones, and even when talking about those lost years ago, we all were brought to tears. It was the evening that sold me on Day of the Dead. In the US we often swallow our grief so we can get on with our life and so that we don’t inconvenience others with our bad moods. However, that isn’t the best manner of coping either. I like that this holiday gives us the opportunity, if not the expectation, to confront our memories and grief and spend time honoring those that have passed away.
I was sick all night and “woke up” Thursday morning (Nov. 1) with a crazy temperature and still suffering from stomach issues. I called Heidi to ask her what to do – which was call a doctor. He came to the house to check me out. Diagnosis: 39 degree C temperature (about 102 F) and a stomach infection. Treatment: a two day series of 20 pills and three injections (one per day) in my butt done by none other than Marce. I slept in a fever-weak state all of Thursday and woke up Friday (Nov. 2) still feeling out of it but better. I pulled myself to the cemetery with Marce and her family that night, but I was so incredibly disappointed that I missed a trip to a pueblo called Ocotepec to view a very traditional and extensive production of Dia de los Muertos.
The weekend was also pretty easy-going and I eventually made my way to the zócalo to see the Catrinas on Sunday night before the authorities tore everything down on Monday.

As a lover of all things Latino, I was disappointed I missed it. As a Spanish teacher, I was disappointed I missed it. As an optimist, I can only say, “At least I got pictures from the other volunteers.”