Day of the Dead in San Miguel de Allende

It has been a week of remembrance here in San Miguel de Allende. The people of San Miguel, as well as all of Mexico, have been preparing offerings for their departed family members, relatives, friends, as well as public figures, loved celebrities and artists. They celebrated the Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos, as it is called in Mexico. They place offerings, usually in the form of foods on altars. In San Miguel de Allende, these alters can be found in homes, public areas and buildings, like the public library (Biblioteca Publica), the police station and the radio station.

The Mexicans are amazing. It seems like they dance to everything, even death. Death is not to be feared. Here in San Miguel de Allende, I have learned that they celebrate death, even count it as a festive day. They still hold on to the ancient traditional belief of the Aztecs.  When one dies, his spirit continues to live in Mictlán.  Here all souls reside after leaving life on earth. It is said that Mictlán is not a dark or scary place, but one that is quiet and pleasant where souls rest before they continue on their journey to heaven or Tlalocan. In order to make this journey, the souls need food and water for sustenance, candles and or the bright yellow flowers to light the way, coins to pay the ferryman to get them across the river to Mictlan and a thorny staff to drive away the devil. Hence, the tradition of offering these items. There is also another version where the souls stay in Mictlán till they can come and visit their loved ones back on earth. The offerings and decorations, mentioned above, are the departed’s favorite foods, so that when their spirit comes home to visit, to share the banquet, they will enjoy themselves and then leave happily to heaven.

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the Day of the Dead was celebrated in August and coincided with the end of the agricultural harvest of corn, squash, chickpeas and beans. The bounty of the harvest was an intregal part of the offerings given to the dead. With the coming of Catholicism, the day was turned into an act of mourning and prayer, so that the dead could rest in peace. The indigenous tradition though was stronger and has been combined with Catholic rituals. Hence, Dia de los Muertos has become a carnival of smells, tastes and loves in which the living and the dead co-exist together for a day. Families play together with their deceased loved ones, hosting banquets on colorful alters. This eases the pain of loosing a loved one with the belief that the soul is whole and well, in the Land of the Dead. Thereby making Dia de lo Muertos a celebration full of joy and color during the day mixed with silences of night.

The Day of the Dead is actually held over 2 days: November 1st, is All Saints Day or Dia de Todos los Santos. This day is for those who led exemplary lives as well as for deceased children. November 2nd is Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos. This day is for all departed loved ones. The festivities as one is collectively known as Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, in San Miguel de Allende and all of Mexico.

Although altars vary from one place to another, there are several basic elements present in all. According to tradition, every altar must have 7 levels, which represents the 7 levels that souls must pass through to finally rest in peace. The day before, the altar must be swept with herbs, moving east, west, north and south, the direction of the 4 winds.  A good altar has to have all the levels. The highest and smallest level is the center of the altar, where a photo of the loved one is usually placed.

The seventh level is the last and largest level which is on the ground. This part holds firewood, coal, a brazier or three stones used to make a hearth, water and a cross made of ashes or salt. The middle levels hold the loved one’s favorite foods and other items—a doll for a child or a guitar for a guitar player, for instance. Additionally, a humorous poem about famous people is added.  Each level has to be covered with a white cloth or colored paper. All colors, except black can be used. Black is not used, as it represents sadness and darkness, which is not in accordance with the celebrations. The typical colors used are purple, green, yellow and orange. The 4 elements of nature must be present on the altar: earth, represented by the foods; wind, represented by a light moving object such as the colored and design-cut china paper with images of death in endless forms and shapes, placed on doors and hung from wall to wall; water, represented by a glass, vase or bottle of water for the soul to quench its thirst after and for the journey; and fire, represented by candles that serves as light against the darkness of death, to illuminate the path of the deceased.

The bright yellow flowers, xempaxúchil, or marigolds, also act like the candles, guiding the souls home and is used everywhere, in homes, on altars, in gardens as well as the Jardin Principal in San Miguel de Allende.

Another very popular tradition is the Pan de Muertos. To me, it signifies the coming of the day as it is sold everywhere. Every bakery sells it, even Starbucks, complete with hot chocolate! Another popular custom is to exchange calaveritas, or sugar skulls, between living friends and family

Among the foods often placed on altars are rice, pollo en mole (chicken in mole sauce), pozole (traditional Mexican corn soup), tamales (steamed, stuffed cornmeal dough), beans, corn-on-the-cob, tortillas, coffee, fruit juice, water, traditional drinks such as atole (a creamy drink made of water sugar and rice, wheat or oat flour), tepache (a fermented pineapple drink) and pulque (fermented maguey sap) and aguardiente (sugar cane brandy), beer, cigarettes, tejocotes (a seasonal native fruit), sugar cane, peanuts and Mexican candies like charamusca, a sort of taffy, garapiñado, candy-coated peanuts, and sugar skulls. A friend of mine, who is a local of San Miguel de Allende, actually tested the belief that the spirits who come to the banquet are said to consume the essence of the food, so if you tasted the food, after the appointed time they were to visit, it would have no flavor. He tasted some of the food at the altar the very next day and found that indeed, there were no smell nor flavor to any of the foods there.

Over time, more traditions were added, such as visiting cemeteries and dining on the tombs of departed family and friends. It is believed that the spirits take part in the festivities. Another custom is for family and friends to get together at the grave-site. They and clean and decorate it.  They have picnics and tell stories about the departed.  Some people even hire bands from northern Mexico or Mariachis to provide entertainment.

So you see, rather than it being a sad day for the dead, Dia de los Muertos, is a very cheerful and colorful event. The Mexicans treat death with humor. For instance, “the Grim Reaper,” is referred to irreverently as calaca (‘skeleton’), huesuda (“bones”), dientona (“toothy”) and flaca (“skinny”). For dying itself, Mexicans use playful expressions such as petatearse, estirar la pata (literally, “stretch your foot out”) and pelarse (slang for “take off”). These playful twist of words find their way into verses and sayings that make light of kicking the bucket.

I believe, for the people of San Miguel de Allende and all of Mexico, The Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos is a celebration of life.

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