Día de los Muertos is a celebration which marks the return of the souls of our departed loved ones to earth. For their homecoming, graves and altars are decorated with beautiful flowers and delicious foods for them to enjoy.
The origins of this ceremony go back at least 600 years to the Aztec civilization in what is now central and southern Mexico. At the time it was associated with the Aztec goddess of death and queen of the underworld, Mictecacihuatl. Just like today people made altars and brought offerings of food for the deceased.
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| "Mictecacihuatl" by qetza |
Originally the celebration was held earlier in the year, during what is now the month of August (へえーお盆と一緒だったね), but with the Spanish Conquest it was moved to coincide with All Souls Day in order to associate it with Catholicism and erase its connection to indigenous rituals. Today in Oaxaca it is celebrated from October 31st to November 2nd.
Some aspects of the celebration include decorating altars, graveyard visits, comparsas (comedic theater events), people in costume, kids going door-to-door to ask for treats, and of course lots of traditional food.
Día de los Muertos is included in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
Comparsas
As mentioned above, comparsas (comedic theater events) are held during Día de los Muertos. Many neighborhoods or towns host a comparsa, which involves a troupe of people dressed in outrageous and often elaborate costumes, lots of fireworks and firecrackers being lit dangerously close to crowds, and a band. People who go to see the comparsa also often wear a costume or paint their face. The play that is put on involves a lot of satire and jokes related to the local area, as well as political jokes, all said in rhyming verse. Once it is over, the costumed troupe often parades around the town or neighborhood with the band. I remember last year we lived in a neighborhood which hosts a comparsa and the troupe was still dancing (very drunkenly) through the streets at 6 a.m. Here are some clips from one of the comparsas I attended this year:
There's actually a storyline to this which you can't tell from watching the video, but the bad husband figure falls sick, is taken to a local hospital, and then dies there (that particular hospital is known for having such bad care that its patients often die). After death, he ends up in hell and his life is being judged by the devil, but is able to bribe his way out of a painful afterlife. If you'd like to see the script (of what's shown in the video) in Spanish, here it is:
El Cielo permiso nos ha concedido
el consumar nuestra unión.
Le pedimos por favor el sacramento de matrimonio,
y nos de su bendición.
Pedimos por funerarios para que
la mujer y los hombres que nos quitaron la vida
de dios alcancen el perdón.
...mesura amiga pero más delicada y misteriosa...
Como decía, ásenlo en fuego lento,
que sienta el fuego infernal.
Pues toda su vida se la pasó
metido en El Carrizal*
¡Protesto, protesto!
Sé que fui mal esposo,
¡pero esto no me lo merezco!
¿Por qué no olvide la bronca
y luego le paso pa' el chesco?
Dale a tu cuerpo alegría calavera,
hey, calavera
*El Carrizo es un burdel aquí en Oaxaca
Pedir Calaverita
During the three days of the holiday, kids go door to door to ask for sweets. They often wear a costume, and they go around their neighborhood at night knocking on doors (much like Halloween in the U.S.). When they knock they will say something like "¿Me da para mis muertos?" (Will you give me something for my dead?) Some treats given to them include candies, coins, bread, and chocolate.
Photos from around town...
(Over the next few days I'll write more about graveyard visits, altars, food, and catrinas, so check back to see more pictures and videos.)
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