Some misconceptions about Day Of The Dead
The feast to "receive our beloved departed ones once a year" is near, and it's not a surprise many people, mostly outside the country have believed in some things that are far to be true about this day. Day Of The Dead have been through many changes along the years, so the celebration we know today is not the same as how it was celebrated centuries ago.
1. In the prehispanic era, people didn't celebrate the Day Of The Dead.
Differently to what many people would think, the mesoamerican didn't have a specific day to celebrate the dead. They had many days around their calendar, and even most importantly, we have to remember the prehispanic cultures turned around their cult to the dead, doing many rituals so similar to the magnificent ones of the ancient Egyptians themselves.
According to historian and doctor Elsa Malvido, of the Direction of Historical Studies of INAH (National Institute of Art and History) the date for the Day Of The Dead, November 2nd, has Maccabees origins:
"And making a gathering, he sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection, (For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,) And because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins." biblegateway.com
Later on, the tradition was rescued by the medieval french Abad of Cluny who chose this date for its celebration, and then from France it became an official date in the liturgical calendar of the Chruch to commemorate the Day Of The Faithful Deceased, to pray for the eternal rest of the souls, and for the blessed souls of the Purgatory. When the Spanish arrived to America, both visions about the commemoration of the dead were fussed into one. The catholic traditions of the Day Of The Dead met the syncretism with the mesoamerican rituals.
2. The famous Day Of The Dead parade and skull face painting weren't a Mexican invention.
After the tradition from both cultural sides became richer with one another in the Mexican country, the celebration met many changes since then. However, even if there were dances and songs, and crafting of all sorts, there was never a parade as such. Maybe there were religious processions in other times, but the famous parade made in the Mexican metropolis has another origin.
And we all owe it to one movie, one of the many sequels of James Bond, "Spectre" released in 2015, that has its opening in the middle of a Day Of The Dead "parade" that never existed before, to make it look more folkloric and exotic, including people wearing skull masks or skull face painting that people never used before.
The local governor of the México city around that time thought it was a good idea to profit on a foreign vision of our culture and made it an official event that remains till these days, to attract tourism to the city.
But, for me, it upsets me a bit because we are kinda confirming to the world that we are exactly as they think we are, just an exotic touristic attraction.
3. Is not a second Halloween.
Also, Day Of The Dead in the movie is almost portrayed as a Mexican version of Halloween, which, well, is not entirely accurate. Halloween and Day Of The Dead, as we all well know have different origins. Day Of The Dead being inspired from the Maccabees, Halloween being a celebration of Celtic origins. Little of Halloween arrived to México, differently to what happened in the United States. And yes, it's true, we also got our traditional horror stories like La Llorona or El Chupacabras, but Day Of The Day isn't really focused on being spooky, but more into a devotional attitude toward your departed ones, wether you are of Catholic beliefs or a non believer. Also, we don't exactly celebrate death, we remember the dead. But in the past, wearing a costume wasn't, well... a costume.
It wasn't but after, on the second half of the XX century that these costumes coming from the Halloween celebration were mixed with Mexican Day Of The Dead, when México lived an americanization similar to the frenchification that happened in the Porfirian times. Then children started dressing up with Halloween themes and asking for their "calaverita" from now on. But still, Day Of The Dead isn't a Mexican version of Halloween.
4. Day Of The Dead isn't celebrated the same in the whole country.
For instance in the north, people tend to remain to the original, sober tradition attached to a more European costume of just assisting to church, eat some traditional food, but not putting an ofrenda...
In the center we put an ofrenda and eat traditional food, make cultural events, but the Day Of The Dead as it is known in the abroad, is held on the south, in states like Michoacán, and Oaxaca primordially, where it stays attached to indigenous rites and beliefs. But the traditions still vary in each state and even in each zone.
A fun fact is that there is a strong tradition from part of my paternal grandfather's family that comes from Guanajuato, to put an ofrenda, but it's curious that I never saw none of them put any portrait on them. The ofrendas were merely decorations, and the food placed in them weren't reserved for the dead, but for us. My grandfather let us eat from every single plate and candy when we were kids. Not all the Pan de muerto has the same known shape, but it varies as well in each part of the south.
5. Is not the only Mexican celebration.
Day Of The Dead is a strong, unique mexican tradition that has conquered the entire world with its colors, joy and charm. However, it's not the only Mexican celebration that exists. As how we have remarked in the past, saying we're not wearing sombreros, jorongos and huaraches all the time, or drinking tequila and eating tacos, as well as we señoritas doesn't dress like Frida Kahlo, we're not dressed nor painted as skeletons the whole year. We celebrate other things around the whole year and our culture doesn't get resumed in just one celebration, as how China is not reduced to their Chinese new year or American aren't entirely 4th of July all the time.
There are many things we shouldn't give for granted from this Mexican celebration, less if it comes from a source you don't know if it's legit, like a super spy movie. There is still so much to discover and to deny from it.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Maccabees%2012%3A43-46&version=DRA
https://www.inah.gob.mx/boletines/1485-origenes-profundamente-catolicos-y-no-prehispanicos-la-fiesta-de-dia-de-muertos-2
