D E AT H A S PA RT O F L I F E Coco St. George
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here is an old story in Mexican lore about a man who goes to the cemetery to visit the grave of his parents and bring them flowers. At a nearby grave, he spots a man placing dishes with food and glasses with drinks on his family’s plot. The first man remembers it’s November 2nd, the Day of the Dead, when tradition calls people to bring food and beverages to their dear departed. With a snarky smile, he asks the other man: “When will your family members come back to eat and drink all that food?” “The moment your parents come back to smell those flowers,” was the quick response. Día de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead in Mexico is a tradition that goes back to the Aztec times. Originally, three days were devoted to their deceased ones (“those who had picked up their shadows,” as they said); one day in mid-July, to celebrate the muertos chiquitos, the little departed, or children who had died. Then there was another in early August, for the adults, and finally, a third in October, when all dead people were invited to partake in the bounty of the Autumn harvest. After the Aztec empire fell to the Spanish Conquistadores, the Catholic Church began its evangelization work, and to that end, priests and friars tried to eradicate the natives’ religion and customs. Thus, the October celebration was conflated with the Catholic holiday of All Souls’ Day on November 2nd, and the All Saints’ Day (or All Hallows, name from which the word Halloween originates, as in “All Hallows’ Eve”), on November 1st, was devoted to the muertos chiquitos. The new holiday kept the practice of offering of food and drinks to the departed. These offerings are artistically displayed on what is called an Altar D E AT H A S PA RT O F L I F E
for the Dead, decorated with candles, marigold flowers, food, drinks, sugar skulls, and the stuff the deceased liked in life, such as cigarettes, cards, guitars, and so on. Also, the tradition calls for a visit to the grave, heavily decorated with flowers and candles, to spend the night eating and drinking, sometimes singing too, while remembering stories about their late family members and sharing mostly funny anecdotes. This is, of course, a family affair that gives the younger generations the chance to learn about their elders, providing them with a strong feeling of roots and belonging. One thing before going any further: despite the common theme of death and their proximity in the calendar, the Day of the Dead is nothing like Halloween. Halloween is a holiday when we want to be spooked, afraid, and having goosebumps; a day (or night, to be precise) to deal with ghouls, monsters, witches, and many other evil creatures. The Day of the Day, on the other hand, celebrates the life of the deceased— it’s a joyful occasion. That’s why the skulls and skeletons we see around those days are smiling or even laughing, dancing, drinking, having a great time in their afterlife. The Day of the Dead is celebrated not only in Mexico, but also in certain countries of Latin America and communities within the United States. In 2003, the festivity was declared part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. But maybe it was Pixar’s animated blockbuster Coco (2017) that helped make this ancient holiday wider known and appreciated throughout the world. That this is a living tradition was shown after the James Bond’s movie Spectre (2015) was filmed in Mexico City, featuring a before-then nonexistent Day of the Dead parade. The city authorities believed that a parade would be a nice tourist PHOTOS : COCO ST. GEORGE
