PUENTE THEATRE

Day of the Dead 

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At first glance, the Mexican custom of El Día de los Muertos — the Day of the Dead — may sound much like Halloween. After all, the celebration traditionally starts at midnight the night of Oct. 31, and the festivities are abundant in images related to death, but the customs have different origins, and their attitudes toward death are different. In the typical Halloween festivities, death is something to be feared, but in El Día de los Muertos, death — or at least the memories of those who have died — is something to be celebrated.

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El Día de los Muertos, which continues until Nov. 2, has become one of the biggest and most important holidays in Mexico. Its origins are distinctly Mexican: During the time of the Aztecs, a month-long summer celebration was overseen by the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead. After the Aztecs were conquered by Spain, and Catholicism became the dominant religion, the customs became intertwined with the Christian commemoration of All Saints' Day on November 1st and All Souls' Day on November 2nd.

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One of the most common customs is the making of elaborate altars to welcome departed spirits home. Vigils are held, and families go to cemeteries to fix up the graves of their departed relatives using sugar skulls, hundreds of marigolds, pan de muerto (bread of the dead), and the favorite foods and beverages of their departed loved ones. 

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The Day of the Dead is a time to honour all those who are no longer with us, but who come back on November 2nd so we can all celebrate life and the natural order of things together.