Shoes, Ships, and Sealing Wax

Día de los Muertos

Several years ago my brother lived in Chicago, and I visited him there late one fall, a few weeks after our grandfather had died. My brother hadn't made it home for the funeral, and as sort of a tribute to Dziadzia we had gone to a carry-out for kielbasa and pierogis.

Also that weekend we went to an art exhibit that some of my brother's friends were in, an exhibit with a Día de los Muertos theme. I didn't know anything about the feast specifically, I just assumed it was Mexican Halloween, Day of the Dead.

My brother lived in a neighborhood that sort of straddled the Ukrainian Village and an Hispanic area, and before I left we ate in a little neighborhood restaurant that was all decorated with whimsical skeletons.

A few years ago, here in D.C., I went to a Mexican restaurant that had been decorated with marzipan skulls and papel picado banners. That reminded me of the Chicago trip, and since I now had the Internet, I looked up Día de los Muertos.

I was rather delighted to realize that our Polish dinner for Dziadzia was in the Day of the Dead spirit, although we should have left a beer for him.

Here is how Mexonline.com explains the holiday:

Every year, on November 1st (All Saints Day) and 2nd (All Souls Day), something unique takes place in many areas of Mexico: Day of the Dead festivities. While it's strange for most of us to accept the fact that "death" and "festivities" can go hand-in-hand, for most Mexicans, the two are intricately entwined. This all stems from the ancient indigenous peoples of Mexico (Purepecha, Nahua, Totonac and Otomí) who believed that the souls of the dead return each year to visit with their living relatives - to eat, drink and be merry. Just like they did when they were living.

I've never celebrated Day of the Dead...I suspect the cops would get a call if I tried hanging out at the cemetery for a picnic all night, and I don't really have room in the house for an altar...but I'm fascinated by it.

Here are a few of the articles I have found online:

Mexico Connect

Mary J. Andrade

AZCentral.com

Posted by Nic at November 2, 2006 05:13 PM | TrackBack