How is it that the event of death and a joyous celebration are two sides to one coin?

 This November 1st and 2nd all around San Diego County we will see people gather in public sites, gravesites and in their homes to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed on. This celebration is one practiced by many people of Latino ethnic heritage, especially from the Mesoamerican region. As the holiday has become more of a community wide celebration, others outside the Latino community are beginning to celebrate this tradition as well. The tradition being spoken of is the Day of the Dead, which began to take shape long ago in Mesoamerican times before the Spanish conquest of Mexico and with the syncretistic blending of Catholic theology into the native holiday.

 Many components of this tradition remain from those ancient times while other elements of the celebration are still being transformed today. It is a celebration that is a result of thousands of years and many changing times and cultures blending together. However, one important constant that has remained a critical element of the meanings of the celebration lies in the belief that within the context of the Day of the Dead death is treated as a celebration of life and as a commemoration of the fortunate existence each person has been given whether or not they are living here in the present.

 It may seem difficult to see that the there is a strong relationship between the act of celebrating and the mystery of death, but in this tradition the fact remains that these two elements are tightly intertwined together in the practice of El Día de los Muertos. It is a celebration of the entire life process and all those fortunate souls lucky enough the have been given life. It is a celebration of honoring and remembering loved ones lost. As the roots of El Día de los Muertos set the stage for the celebration to transform and unfold over the years, the present holiday carries on the meanings of the celebration from the ever transforming history of the holiday.

 There are many different ways that various cultures deal with our inevitable destiny known to us as death. The death of a loved one is no doubt a grief stricken time in the lives of the family and community surrounding the death of a beloved person. Often times the sadness of a death far outweighs what the tradition of the Day of the Dead remembers, which is the good times had during life and the memories that will forever be remembered and carried on by the legacy the person left. The death of a loved one is filled with grief and sadness, but in this healthy grief it is often overlooked and forgotten that death was preceded by life. Within this life there is a precious beauty that should be celebrated and remembered no matter what stage of existence a person is in. This is why the celebration of El Día de los Muertos stands out among different cultural death practices as a shining light of hope, mystery, color and beauty as it reminds of those who practice it that life and death are two perfect components in a breathtaking and beautiful cycle each of us is lucky enough to endure.

 The roots of the celebration of El Día de los Muertos began long ago in Mesoamerican times where the peoples of Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, and later the Purepecha, Nahua, Totonac, and Otomí revered life and death as part of the cycle of existence where life includes the time after earthy existence as well. Through the remembering of deceased loves ones, their lives and spirits live on. Through this awareness of the afterlife these ancient peoples revered life and death as one entity, as two components in an inevitable but miraculous cycle.  

 In Mesoamerican times, during this practice natives remembered the dead and believed the souls of past loved ones would visit them each year, families constructed ofrendas and altars that needed to be prepared for their return. Traditional food, water, candles and flowers are among many important components of the items used in the celebration. The belief of spiritual return of loved ones lost has carried on today from the very beginnings of the holiday. This is one of many traditions that have been carried on throughout the entire history of the celebration. Unfortunately, not every tradition has been so lucky. For example, in the far past the celebration and remembrance of the dead lasted for over a month during the time of the Maya and Mexica time. But after the assimilation of Catholic beliefs into the tradition, it is now only practiced on November 1st, coinciding with the Catholic holiday All Saints Day, and November 2nd, that of All Souls Day.

 Before, the Day of the Dead was celebrated on the first and second of November, but it was a celebration of many days that began in the month of August. This stems back to a time where the peoples believed there was a male and female god of life and death. The god of creation was named Ometecuhtli and of death Mictlantecuhtli. Their female goddesses were named Omecíhuatl and Mictecacíhuatl. They all stemmed from one god named Ometéotl. These four gods can be seen to represent the four cardinal points, which are north, south, east and west and the four life elements of water, fire, wind and earth. The four life elements continue to be an important part of the tradition today.

 These gods represented the ascension and descension into the different levels of the afterlife. The peoples of that time focused on the entire life cycle, including the afterlife. The belief also included a system of different levels representing heaven and the underworld. It doesn’t have to do at all with the Judeo-Christian underworld, it is not about the desolation and anguish stricken hell that people are made to fear. It is more about a continuation of life after life. There were 13 levels of the heavens and 9 levels of the underworld with earth in between.  It is a complex story where each level represents different interactions with ancient characters and gods, and how you lived your life and how your life ended would affect where you went and what levels you traveled to when you died. This story of beliefs from centuries ago is important because through it one can see a cycle of life, and how important life and death as a balanced cycle are together in unison.

 With the Spanish conquest of Latin America the traditions of the Day of the Dead were transformed and absorbed into the Catholic calendar. Instead of the celebration being eradicated, it changed and grew to become part of the changing social and political world. This tradition was so embedded into the culture of the Mesoamerican people that it was impossible to eradicate it from the future traditions.  But through these changes the celebration remained true to its roots by always emphasizing the celebration of life and death as part of a beautiful and inevitable cycle. The people who celebrate this time-honored tradition continued to remember loved ones who had passed even as the traditions were modified and evolved over time. Just as the practice underwent change at that time, the Latino community in the United States continues to influence the shape of the future of the celebration. The celebration has been transformed into a community wide festival. Although many migrant communities continue to build ofrendas in the traditional way, many ofrendas are offered to tragic deaths such as the events of 9/11 among others. 

  No matter where or how you and your family celebrate this tradition this upcoming November, remember the roots of El Día de los Muertos and the exquisiteness and depth ingrained into the entire life cycle. Remembering loved ones honors them and keeps them alive forever. Death does not have to be a solely grief stricken event where eternal sadness is inevitable. It can also be seen as another beginning for loved ones lost and a reminder of the precious life each of us has. This beautiful message has continued to emanate from the roots of El Día de los Muertos, and will continue to do so for many years to come. 

 If you are looking for a place to celebrate this holiday for the first time or as something you have done, this coming Day of the Dead Festival on Sunday November 1st, 2009 will be celebrated at the San Luis Rey Mission in Oceanside from 10am to 6pm and you are welcome to attend. Join this unique tradition that represents the Mexican cultural diaspora in our region.

 For general information about the event, please contact Mission San Luis Rey at 760. 757.3651 or visit their website at http://www.sanluisrey.org/.