Like many people, I knew very little about Day of the Dead and my knowledge of it's significance was totally muddled up with Hallowe'en. It wasn't until the Disney movie Coco came out that I began to realize there was more to it than I had previously known.
First off - it has absolutely nothing to do with Hallowe'en except that the dates are very close - hence that confusion. The theme of "death" may add to the confusion but instead of being a frightening prospect as Hallowe'en depicts it Day of the Dead is a time of remembrance and celebration.
The Altar
Of great significance at this time is the altar. These may be constructed in community spaces such as schools and libraries or in private homes. The altars help guide the spirits back to the land of the living.
The Offerings
The offerings on the altar are very purposeful. There is food and drink to refresh the spirit travellers on their journey back to earth and again on their return to the afterlife. There are toys and sweets for the children who passed on before their time.
Food
Food plays an important role in any celebration and Day of the Dead is no exception. Traditional foods are served during this time as well as being used as offering to the returning spirits. You will often see bowls of fruits, tamales and pan de Muerto (a very tasty sweet bread, shaped like a bun and topped with sugar) offered on the altars.
And to wash it all down - some of the dearly departed's favourite beverages.
Toys & Sweets
Toys are included as offerings for the spirit child (los angelitos, or 'the little angels').
Sugar Skulls (Calavera)
Calaveras, or sugar skulls, are decorated with colourful designs and are often used as ofrendas or offerings on the altars. They are perhaps the most familiar icons of the celebration.
Papel Picado
You will often see marigolds decorate the altars but due to our early and very heavy snowfall which resulted in a collapsed greenhouse, there will be no marigolds offered this year. There is, however, plenty of traditional paper cutout decorations on colourful tissue paper.
Transformation
The theme for this year's celebration was chosen to be Transformation and what better way to represent the theme than with a Monarch butterfly? Many Mexican people feel the arrival of millions of monarch butterflies in November are actually the spirits of departed loved ones returning to earth. A beautiful thought.
I had a wonderful experience in September visiting Point Pelee National Park where migrating Monarch butterflies were collecting on the lee side of the trees during gale force winds blowing in across Lake Erie. It was a small sampling of what the millions of butterflies that gather in Mexico from November to March must look like.
Art Instalation
Two local artists collaborated on a very "transformative" art installation to compliment the altar which is on display at the Highwood Memorial Centre. Christi Tims and Jo Merritt joined efforts and brought their vision of butterflies travelling toward the altar and the spirit world and the spirits of the "transformed" departed returning to visit their loved ones on earth for the few days that are, Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead.
I could and probably should do a blog solely on this art installation but I wanted to publish this post prior to the completion of this year's celebration which is tomorrow night - Saturday, Nov. 5th.
If you are not attending the final gala I urge you to stop by the Centre to experience the altar and the art installation. Everyone involved has shared so much of their time and creative talents in this project it's a shame to see it come down, but... down it must come.
And in closing... Alejibre
Thanks to the near-death experience of Pedro Linares we have been gifted with what has developed into the unique folk art that is alejibre. Representations of fantastical beasts which were originally depicted in cartonero or paper mache, this art form has become a style unto itself with collectors and artists such as Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo bringing it to international attention.
In keeping with the transformation theme, many of the alejibre on the altar are representational beings of the butterfly.
But not all of them...
Thank you for staying with me for this rather lengthy piece - so much to share - so little time.
Credits:
C.J. Bennington Fine Art Photography