November Festivals-San Miguel de Allende
In November in San Miguel de Allende, there are four main festivals:
- October 31st- November 2nd is Dia de los Muertos – Day of the Dead
- November 12th is Dia del Cartero – Mailman’s Day
- November 20th is the anniversary of The Mexican Revolution
- November 22nd is the festival of Saint Cecilia, Patron Saint of Music
Day of the Dead – Dia de los Muertos in San Miguel de Allende
DÃa de los muertos, Day of the Dead is celebrated throughout Mexico from October 31st through November 2nd. It begins late at night on Oct. 31, when the spirits of dead children (angelitos) start arriving. This is also known as young soul’s day. This continues through November 1st, which correlates with the Catholic Calendar, and the official All Saints Day. Saints who attained Beatific Vision are honored. November 2, is All Soul’s Day, which honors the all of faithful departed.
Deceased relatives are remembered and honored in cemeteries and family homes in this unique cultural celebration. Festivities take place throughout the country, with variations from state to state.
The observance of Day of the Dead goes back to pre-Hispanic Mexico. Back to the time of the Aztecs, Mayans and other indigenous peoples in Mexico. The belief was that the souls of the deceased return annually to visit living relatives and eat and drink with them. These cultures all celebrated the return of the departed with festivals and celebrations.
Aztec Skull
They also had a month-long festival of Death and Flowers as a reminder of the beauty and fleeting nature of life. The last day of this celebration fell on November 1, the same day as the Spanish festival called All Souls’ Day, when spirits of the dead were thought to return to earth.
The Spanish Conquest of 1521 brought about the fusion of Catholic attitudes and indigenous beliefs. The Day of the Dead was created as a result of amalgamation of Pre-Spanish Indian ritual beliefs and the imposed rituals of the Catholic Church.
In the Catholic Faith they celebrated All Soul’s Day to honor all the faithful departed. There are three Requiem Masses that are said by the clergy, to assist the souls from Purgatory to Heaven.
Those believers who died in a “state of grace” are promised “heavenly rewards”, after paying for their sins in purgatorial flames, while those who did not are to spend eternity suffering in Hell. Many Catholics believe that they can pray their loved ones out of Purgatory.
Collect (from Masses for the Dead):
[for all our departed brothers and sisters]
Merciful Father,
hear our prayer and console us.
As we renew our faith in Your Son,
whom You raised from the dead,
strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters
will share in His resurrection,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen
The Traditions, Alters and Decorations
All manner of decorations relating to death are created for the occasion. Families make careful preparations for the fiesta. Graves and tombstones are swept and cleaned. In their homes and at the gravesites they set up altars with pictures of dead family members. Around these altars they place offerings or “ofrendas” such as candles, flowers, incense, favorite foods and drinks and other trinkets.
Dia de los Muertos Altar
Elaborate Day of the Dead altars are found in Mexican homes and are adorned with authentic works of art meant to last no longer than the fiesta itself. They create ornate works of art and destroy them at the end of the festival.
This is normal because Mexicans, especially indigenous cultures, see themselves as temporary (ephemera) beings in an ephemeral world.
Pan de Muerto
Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead), is one such ephermeral offering. It is placed on the altar and not removed until the visit to the cemetery. A loaf of bread is also traditionally given to visitors who come to the home during the time of the celebration.
Pan de Muerto Offering
Pan de Muerto has been used in Mexico, since the colonial period, and comes from the early custom, in Spain, of begging for souls. Also the Zapotec Indians, from the State of Oaxaca, on their alters, offered bread for the dead.
Pan de Muerto is formed into different shapes; skulls, image’s of people, skeletons and bones. They are baked with various amounts of eggs and spices’ and they almost are all topped with sugar.
Sugar Skulls
Also symbolic of Dia de los Muertos festivals is the skull or skeleton (“calavera.â€) Sugar skulls are a very popular gift and offering for the alters. They are often ornately decorated and have the name of the recipient scrolled across the forehead, either dead or alive.
Sugar Skulls
The origin of these small figures is still a mystery. Early references have them being sold for the Day of the Dead during the mid 18th century, while some records date them as far back as the pre-Hispanic period.
There processions which feature, the skull, skeletons and other costumes representing death.
Skeletons of Dia de los Muertos
Calaveras
“Calaveras” are also popular. They are poems, written like an obituary, for the Day of the Dead. They are intended to humorously criticize the living.
A “Calaverasâ€
One of the most famous depictions of the “calavera†is Jose Guadalupe Posada’s (1852-1913), etchings and lithographs. Posada was a satirical illustrator, who depicted social and political personalities as “Calaveras†(skeletons). In his illustrations he depicts socialites, politicians, priests, farmers and street-cleaners as “Calaveras†enjoying life together. He was popular with the masses because he lived during the Porfirio Diaz dictatorship, which was a time of extreme social inequality. So the idea of the rich and poor living side by side, even if they were skeletons, was appealing.
Jose Guadalupe Posada’s Illustration, Catrina
Banners
A popular type of decoration used to commemorate Dia de los Muertos, in Mexico, is the tissue paper banner. On October 31st, the day the angelitos arrive, multi colored banners are displayed. On November 1st, the angelitos depart and the adult souls arrive. When this occurs the colored banners are removed, and the black and white ones are displayed.
Colored Banners For the Angelitos San Miguel de Allende
Black Paper Banners For All Souls Day
Toys
Another part of the festival is toys. Toys are put on alters for the dead children. Also skeleton puppets made of painted plywood and string, are a special favorite among small children. Perhaps by making death more approachable through friendly images, like a dancing skeleton playing a guitar, Mexicans begin to lose their fear of death at an early age.
Toys on Child’s Gravesite
Puppet-Jose Posada’s Catrina
Gravesites
One of the most important parts of the whole festival is the time when the families visit the cemeteries. They bring candles, offerings of food, drink, and bundles of zempasuchil, (marigolds – the flower of the dead). Families have picnics in the cemeteries. At night, candles glow as families keep watch beside the decorated graves communing with those buried there.
Gravesites for Dia de Los Muertos
Marigolds, the flower of the dead, on top of grave site
Although the festival is centered on death, it is not an unhappy time. Rather, it is a time to connect the past and the future with the present.
Dia del Cartero – Mailman’s Day
November 12 is Dia del Cartero or Mailman’s Day. Post Offices all over the country are closed. Often your mailman may put a card in your mail prior to the holiday, reminding you of his or her stellar service. A tip is always appreciated.
Anniversary of the Mexican Revolution
November 20th is a national holiday in Mexico. It commemorates the beginning of the war for democracy. It is celebrated with parades and civic events.
The Mexican Revolution began on November 20, 1910. It began as an attempt to overthrow the dictator Porfirio Diaz. Don Porfirio (as he was known) was in power for more than 30 years, from 1876-1911.
Under Don Porfirio’s rule, Mexico had political stability and growth in many sectors. He created new industries, built railroads, and encouraged foreign investment. This progress was not felt by the peasants or the laborers.
In 1906 Porfirio’s army harshly restrained a miners strike in the Cananea mine in Sonora. He did every thing in his power to crush any unrest. Historically, the Cananea massacre is the spark that finally ignited the Mexican Revolution.
The revolution was started with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero. In 1909, Madero founded the Anti Reelectionist Party. Madero came from a wealthy family from Coahuila. He studied business in France as well as in the U.S. He campaigned against the reelection of Porfirio Diaz and fought for democracy and liberty in Mexico through his political newspaper articles.
He was designated by the Anti Reelectionist party to run for President in the elections of 1910.
On June 6th Porfirio DÃaz , ordered the imprisonment of Madero. He argued that he was “inciting rebellion and offending the authoritiesâ€.
Francisco I. Madero was taken to a prison in the town of San Luis Potosi. While he waited for the outcome of the election, he learned that Porfirio DÃaz committed election fraud, and confirmed himself as President of Mexico!
Madero escaped from prison and called for a National Rebellion on November 20, 1910. He declared the election of Porfirio Diaz, invalid and appointed interim Governors. Almost immediately, revolts broke out in the Mexican states of Sonora, Puebla, Chihuahua and Coahuila.
Ciudad Juárez in the state of Chihuahua, was taken by the revolutionaries: Pascual Orozco and Francisco “Pancho†Villa. When the city surrendered, Madero set up his provisional government there. DÃaz was then forced to resign and left the country.
Famous Revolutionaries were Pascual Orozco, Francisco “Pancho†Villa in the northern states, and Emiliano Zapata in the south.
Mexican Revolutionaries Pancho Villa (Left) and Emiliano Zapata
Pascual Orozco
Festival of Saint Cecilia-San Miguel de Allende
Saint Cecilia -Guido Reni 1606
November 22nd, is the festival of Saint Cecila. She is the patron Saint of Musicians. On this day Mariachis, troubadours and musicians of all kinds get together and celebrate. There are concerts and masses in her honor.
Cecila died in Sicily as a martyr, under the rule of Marcus Aurelius between 176-180. Her husband and brother were killed first, then Cecila was arrested. The Romans attempted to kill her by first locking her in a sweat-house. That failed so they tried to behead her, but after three unsuccessful attempts by the executioner, he fled. She died in her cell three days later. Her skull is kept as a relic in the cathedral of Torcello, in Venice.
Cecilia’s musical fame rests on a legend, stating that as she lay dying a martyr’s death, she praised God, by singing to him.
By the second half of the 16th century, substantial festivals and celebrations in her honor (and that of music in general) began to be recorded, the earliest of them in Normandy.
