Day of the Dead vs. Halloween

As my students dress up in creative costumes for the school’s major Halloween event, I am left wondering what will become of Mexican traditions. Last year’s Day of the Dead event is forgotten, as students and teachers alike embrace American culture, and leave their own behind. Wal-Mart and department stores have been full of pumpkins, witches and vampires for weeks. Nightclubs and restaurants are throwing costume parties and Halloween specials. What about the Day of the Dead?

Day of the Dead (or Dia de los Muertos in Spanish) is celebrated throughout Mexico on November 2nd. The origins of the holiday can be traced as far back as to Aztec civilization, where rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors were performed. Skulls were displayed to symbolize death and rebirth, and are still used in Day of the Dead celebrations today. The famous skeleton-lady “Catrina” which can be seen year-round, is also based on Aztec tradition, namely the goddess “Mictecacihuatl” or “Lady of the Dead”.

For weeks before this special day, grocery stores and bakeries sell Pan de Muerto (a round, sweet bread sprinkled with sugar), decorated sugar skulls and chocolate coffins. These treats are placed on altars that families make in their house to honor loved ones who have passed away. The altars are decorated with orange marigolds, crosses and pictures of the deceased. There are also plates of beans, tortillas or drinks – usually the favorite of their loved one. These offerings can be anything from chocolate to tequila!

At the malls in Guadalajara there are large altars for famous Mexicans. Downtown, there are numerous stalls that sell Pan de Muerto, and candy skulls and coffins. Bakery windows are brightly decorated with skulls, and cemeteries abound with flowers.

Yet when I ask my students on November 3rd what they did for Day of the Dead, I get no response. One girl says she threw a Halloween party at her house. But since when is Day of the Dead synonymous with Halloween? To top it all off, the school has been covered with spider webs and jack-o-lanterns for days in preparation for the major Halloween event. Not a single skull or skeleton can be seen. Is this how a country loses its culture?