Día de los Muertos en México: Day of the Dead in Mexico, Part 1

Highly decorated cardboard skull for Noche de Muertos.

During November 2007, Mexico Cooks! was so excited during the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festivities to tour both Guadalajara and Morelia with our friend Simon, who was visiting from England.  Here's a look back at that trip, which was Simon's introduction to some of the joys of Mexico: Día de los Muertos 2007 and Día de los Muertos 2007, Part 2.

Pantéon Municipal (Municipal Cemetery), Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán.

Mexico Cooks! is touring Morelia and Pátzcuaro again during this special time of year.  We've attended one or another special Noche de Muertos event every day for an entire week!  Traditional ofrendas (altars dedicated to the dead), spectacular crafts exhibits, concerts, and annual concursos (contests) have filled our days and nights.  Known in most parts of Mexico as Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead), here in Michoacán we call it Noche de los Muertos (Night of the Dead).  By either name, the festival as it's celebrated in Mexico is unique in the world.

These four-inch-long skeletal figures, laid out on their petates (woven rush mats), are hooked up to intravenous bottles of either beer or tequila!

Tiny sugar footwear, in styles from baby booties to high-heeled pumps, ready to be given as gifts or for placement on an ofrenda.

Mexico celebrates death as it celebrates life, with extreme enjoyment in the simplest things. Life and death are both honored states.  The home ofrenda (altar) may memorialize a cherished relative, a political figure (either reviled or beloved), or a figure from the entertainment world.  Traditional decorations include the cempasúchil (marigold) and cordón del obispo (cockscomb) flowers, which are used in profusion in churches, cemeteries, and homes. 

Sugar skulls are often inscribed in icing with a living friend's name and given to that person as a small token of admiration. 

Relatives take favorite foods and beverages to the grave of a loved one gone before.  It's said that the dead partake of the spirit of the food, while the living enjoy the physical treats at the cemetery.

Pan de muertos (bread of the dead) is decorated with bone-shaped bread and sugar.  The bread itself is flavored with orange and anise.

This miniature ofrenda (altar) is filled with tiny representations of treats that the deceased loved in life.

Several years ago, an article in the New York Times quoted Mexico Cooks! about the Noche de los Muertos: "There's a mutual nostalgia.  The living remember the dead, and the dead remember the taste of home."  That nostalgia imbues the cities and villages of Michoacán at this time of year just as surely as do woodsmoke and the scent of toasting tortillas.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico?  Click here: http://mexicocooks.typepad.com/mexico_cooks/2008/05/rinconcitos-esc.html

Comments

[tennen-parman]

Hi, I am Tennen-Perman,E-mail from Japan.
I visited your site sometimes so far.
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I linked your site in my blog.

thank you!

[Bob Mrotek]

"There's a mutual nostalgia. The living remember the dead, and the dead remember the taste of home."

Cristina,
That is a wonderful quote. It really captures the spirit of La Noche de los Muertos. Thank you.