Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead)

Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1 (All Saints’ Day/Day of the Innocents) and November 2 (All Souls’ Day/Day of the Dead) to honor, respect, and remember deceased loved ones. Religiously, the holiday is a combination of Catholicism and indigenous beliefs. Unlike many other customs surrounding death, the Day of the Dead is not considered a somber affair. In Mexico, there are parades, festivals, costumes (especially of skeletons), picnics with family and friends at cemeteries, bright, vibrant colors, and plenty of yummy, traditional holiday fare! Families build alters at home or at the cemeteries and give the deceased offerings of their favorite foods and drinks when they were alive (so the souls of the dead are encouraged to party too!). These days are meant to be celebrations of both life and death. Our ancestors make us who we are. They helped shape our beliefs, traditions, and ways of thinking. So why not celebrate their awesomeness?

[Painting by artist Pristine Cartera Turkus]

Food is an integral part of any holiday celebration. For the Day of the Dead, traditional foods include: sugar skulls, skeleton designs on cookies and cakes, candied pumpkin, breads shaped like animals (for children), candies, tamales, mole, atole, enchiladas, and pan de muerto (bread of the dead).

Above is a loaf of pan de muerto that I made for Dia de los Muertos last night. The design is supposed to symbolize a skull and crossbones. (Of course, mine rose bizarrely, but I guarantee that it is tasty, albeit, weird looking!) It’s a dense, sweet bread with a slight orange flavor. It’s supposed to have crushed anise in it, but I was out of that ingredient. (Whoops!)

Celebrating the Day of the Dead is not limited to only those in Mexico. It’s observed in many places around the world. Many people have lost a loved one, be it a child, a parent, grandparent or friend. So today and tomorrow, let us not dwell on the sadness of not having our loved ones with us, but let us remember the happy times and how much fun it was to have had them in our lives, no matter how short that time was.