Dia De Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is one of the most important holidays in Mexico. From my limited understanding, the Day celebrates those who have passed and hopes for their return. It's a two day holiday (November 1 and 2), but many days are spent preparing for these two days.
Luckily for me, and I'm sure for many other international runners, 2022 Puerto Vallarta by UTMB ultramarathon was held right before the holiday so I got to experience little bit of Dia De Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta with locals. What an experience! This is definitely one of the global cultural events that you must experience once in your life.
The Day of the Dead, celebrated in today’s Mexico and among those of Mexican heritage in the US and around the world, has 3,000 year history as the ritual of honoring the dead goes back to pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.
According to historical reports, Aztecs and other people living in what’s not central Mexico saw death as a integral part of life. After dying, a person was believed to travel to Chicunamictlán, the Land of the Dead and only after getting through nine challenging levels, a journey of several years, could the person’s soul reach the final resting place. The rituals honoring the dead, family members provided food, water and tools to aid the deceased in this difficult journey and this practice inspired today’s Dia De Los Muertos.
A travelers to Mexico could mistakenly think the Day of the Dead is the Mexican version of Halloween if he happened to visit Mexico on October 31st. During that night, streets of Puerto Vallarta resembled that of anywhere, USA with people dressed in familiar Halloween costumes and kids trick-or-treating, reflecting close cultural ties between the US and Mexico.
On the Day of the Dead, it’s believed that the boundary between the dead and alive dissolve and during this brief period, the souls of the dead awaken and return to the living world to feast, drink and dance with their loved ones. The living family members treat the deceased as honored guests in their celebrations, and leave the deceased’s favorite foods and other offerings at gravesites or on shrines built in their homes.
If you are fortunate to visit Mexico during the Day of the Dead, just remember few key points and you'll enjoy one of the iconic global cultural events that makes our human race so unique.
It's a 2-day long celebration
The Day of the Dead takes place on November 1 and 2, though the lead up could take several days. The first day is known as "Day of the Innocents" which celebrated to remember the children and babies who were lost. The second day is reserved to honor adults who have passed.
It's a celebration of life, not death
Despite liberal use of skeletons, the Day of the Dead is not a scary holiday. The Mesoamerican tradition believed that the death is a simple part of the journey of life and that new life comes from death. Thus, music, food, celebration and festival is a big part of the celebration.
Altar (ofrenda) is an important part of the event
Days leading up to the holiday, many families build altars to honor those who have passed. These altar, known and ofrendas, are built with ornates as colorful as the festival itself.
Ofrendas are usually constructed with three-tiers. The top-layer identifies the person the altar is for, usually by a photo. The second tier tries to make the deceased feel at hom by including food, drinks, and for children, toys. The bottom layer is filled with candles.
Below are couple links explaining the holiday and some sights, scenes, people and celebration of Dia De Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta:
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