“It’s not Halloween, and it’s also not a holiday where we just paint skulls. We are honoring Catholic and Aztec traditions, and we are celebrating great souls that died and moved on.”
That’s how Amar de la Cruz summed up Día de los Muertos – the Day of the Dead – to USA Today ahead of the sacred holiday that is generally celebrated on the first or second day of November.
The holiday has roots that run deep, over two millennia to be exact, to the Aztec Empire, and it originally encompassed the entire month of August, but it was moved after the Spanish conquest to line up with the Catholic All Saints Day and All Souls Day. It makes sense since all three are meant to honors the deaths of loved ones and ancestors.
As part of the traditional Día de los Muertos celebration, the dead are given offerings, or “ofrendas.” These offerings can include candles, flowers, food and photographs. Crucifixes also became part of the celebration when Catholicism was incorporated.
As for the menu, it can include rice, sweetbread rolls and tamales. Families honor their loved ones by putting the food near a temporary altar or a grave, offering the dead the opportunity to “feast and be merry.”
Rebecca Cuevas, professor of Mexican studies at the University of Northern Colorado, told USA Today that the offerings are meant to provide lost loved ones with “items they need for their journey.”
"Each flower, each meal and decoration is offered to honor our ancestors and those who have recently died. The prayers and the offerings are a mix of our indigenous and religious beliefs," Cuevas said. "The meals and plans for Día de los Muertos is planned weeks before."
Cuevas said it’s a unique way to honor those who are no longer with us.
"It's a beautiful holiday over two days and it's unlike I think any holiday or customs out there. The ofrendas, the food and the connection to our ancestors is a powerful thing," Cuevas said. "For us it's more than just a holiday or festival, it's sacred."
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