From the 14th to 16th centuries, the Aztecs, an indigenous people of Mexico, held two feasts in honor of the dead. Death itself is not celebrated, but rather the lives of those who have moved on are commemorated. The first, the Feast of the Revered Deceased, was observed by the Aztecs in present-day July, while the Feast of the Greatly Revered Deceased took place during present-day August. Both festivals lasted all month and were presided over by the Queen of Mictlan, Mictlantecuhtli, the "Lady of the Dead." In Aztec culture, skeletons were seen as representations of fertility and health.
When the Spanish arrived in Mexico, conquered the Aztecs in the 1500s and imposed Catholicism on the indigenous peoples, these feasts were moved to coincide with the Catholic holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days at the beginning of November. Initially, Dia de Muertos wasn't celebrated throughout the country because the Aztec empire was concentrated in central and southern Mexico.
Today, Dia de Muertos is celebrated all across the country because at the beginning of the 21st century the Mexican government made it a national holiday. Up until then, people in northern Mexico commemorated All Saints and All Souls Days in a more Catholic setting, rather than the Aztec-influenced Dia de Muertos.
One prominent figure during Dia de Muertos is La Calavera Catrina. She is similar to the Queen of Mictlan in that she presides over these celebrations, but that was not her intended role. José Guadalupe Posada was a satirical Mexican engraver who was active between 1871 and 1913. One of his best known works, "La Calavera Garbancera," was an engraving of a skeleton in elaborate clothing in the style of high class Europeans. Posada was making fun of Mexicans, especially those in government, who appeared to be turning away from their Mexican heritage and focusing on the pale skin and elaborate fashions from Europe. Specifically, Posada was mocking the Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz, whose actions eventually led to the Mexican Revolution. Later, La Calavera Garbancera became known as La Calavera Catrina.
Photo: mvsnoticias.com
To outside eyes, the holiday of Dia de Muertos appears to be a very public celebration of death but it is a very private occasion for Mexican families. They light candles and create paths of marigolds to guide their lost loved ones back to their homes. Within the home, the families create elaborate altars for their beloved deceased and provide them with food and sugar. While there are large public parades with enormous skeletons, the most important part of the holiday is an intimate celebration of the life of a lost loved one and a way to help them move on after death.
Photo: npr.org
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