Dia de Muertos - Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico -

Where dead is only a transition not an end.

Origins of Dia de Muertos - a merging of cultures: In prehispanic times, the dead were buried close to family homes (sometimes in a tomb underneath the house) and there was great emphasis on maintaining ties with deceased ancestors, who were believed to continue to exist on a different plane. With the arrival of the Spaniards and Catholicism, All Souls' and All Saints' Day practices were incorporated into prehispanic beliefs and customs and Dia de Muertos came to be celebrated.

The belief behind Dia de Muertos practices is that spirits return to the earth for one day during the year to be with their families. It is said that the spirits of babies and children who have died (called angelitos, "little angels") arrive on October 31 at midnight, spend an entire day with their families, and then leave. Adults come the following day.

Oaxaca is the place to be when celebrating this awesome 4-day event, which officially begins October 31st. November 1, honors deceased children (Dia de Inocentes) and November 2 Dia de Muertos, in honor of adults. Loved ones gather in the cemeteries to decorate the graves making alters and offerings of items they enjoyed when they were alive. Celebrations begin well before the dates with firecrackers being set off throughout the day the day and night. Each evening parades erupt into the streets with massive 3-meter puppets the bands play while people dance or walk the streets of Oaxaca. Families surround the Zocalo during the day and in the evening listening to the government

sponsored music chairs set up for those who want to listen.

Dia de Muertos Ofrendas or Altars: The custom is to greet the spirits with offerings of food, things that the person enjoyed in life, and laid out on a Dia de Muertos ofrendas or altar as they are called in the family home. Many believe that the spirits consume the essence and the aroma of the foods offered. When the spirits depart, the living consumes the food and shares it with their family, friends, and neighbors.
Other items placed on the altar include sugar skulls, often with the person's name inscribed on the top, pan de muertos, a special bread made especially for the season, and cempasuchil (marigolds) which bloom at this time of year lend a special fragrance to the altar.

Sand tapestries: Known as tapetes de arena in Spanish, are common in Day of the Dead celebrations, but they're also part of Oaxacan mortuary customs. When a person dies, after the burial, a sand tapestry is made in their home. The tapestry depicts a religious image such as a saint the person who died had devotion then for nine nights, family members and friends gather to pray in the family home. On the ninth day, the tapestry is swept up and the sand is taken to the cemetery. The sand from the tapestry is poured onto the grave as part of a special ceremony.

Acala a pedestrian street in the city transforms into a magnificent display of sand sculptures depicting various religious and other famous skeleton figures. Ofrendras are filled with marigolds (the flower of death) overflow into the university and Zocalo as well.

More Traditions: Visiting a few of the small towns during the Dia de Muertos events is worth a special trip in the evening. We rode a taxi to San Gabriel de Etla where the residents performed a skit in front of a few chosen homes. This evening’s performance was about a husband who dies, the doctor tries to revive him, the town priest performs the last rites, and the “curandero”, chaman brings the husband back to life. Everyone is happy, the musicians begin to play and everyone starts dancing, at the same time shots of “Mezcal” are passed around for adults to indulge in. The procession dances continuing to the next house and the skit performed once again. The procession ends into the wee hours of the morning congregating in the town cemetery some staying until the new day visiting family or loved ones who have passed away.

Another town we visited on another night with a tour guide was Xoxocotlan. Villagers begin by purchasing the necessary supplies to decorate the ofrendas. The scene is timeless and colorful we find the cemetery lit with candles. Families bring chairs to the grave site of those they are visiting, a musician walks up to the family asking if they would like him to play a favorite song of their beloved, candles brightly light the tombs, and the fragrance of marigolds fills it way through the cemetery. I feel it is a nice way of dealing with the dead. It seems in Western culture when someone dies they may be swept under the rug and forgotten about. How many people actually visit graves? Maybe it would be better to do like the Mexicans and celebrate the people who have played such important roles in our lives. If you are really looking to enjoy the Mexican culture and traditions I encourage a visit to Oaxaca during the Dia de Muertos events.

Next Blog - I will write about hiking in the mountains of the Sierra Norte of the "Pueblos Mancomunados." Catch the trade wind..Explore-Dream-Discover