November 02
All Souls Day/ Dia de los Muertos |
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El Dia de los
Muertos photograph by
Denis Defibaugh
from his book The Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos |
All Souls Day is a traditional Christian feastday which
commemorates the memory of the dead. The official observance of All Souls
Day was initiated by the Abbot of the Benedictine monastery of Cluny in 1048,
but it took another three centuries for the feast to be officially adopted
by the Western Christian Church. Technically, All Souls Day is a day of
prayer for the souls of the dead who are assumed, according to more
conservative Christian tradition, to be in Purgatory, where they are being
cleansed of their sins before reaching heaven. It
is a common folk belief that the souls in Purgatory are allowed to
return to earth on All Souls Day.
All Souls Day is observed with great fervor
in Mexico and members of the Mexican community living around the United
States and Canada where it is called Dia de los Muertos (The Day of
the Dead) and is celebrated on November 1 and 2. The celebrations can
be traced back to the indigenous peoples such as the Olmec, Zapotec, Mixtec,
Mexican, Maya, P'urhépecha, and Totonac. Rituals celebrating the deaths of
ancestors have been observed by these civilizations perhaps for as long as
2500–3000 years. In the pre-Hispanic era, it was common to keep skulls as
trophies and display them during the rituals to symbolize death and rebirth.
In most Mexican localities, November 1
is set aside for remembrance of deceased infants and children, often
referred to as
angelitos (little angels). Those who have died as adults are honored
November 2. Believers make altars in their homes with photos of their
deceased relatives and friends and surround them with pan de muertos,
a sweet egg bread made in various shapes, from
plain round-shaped circles to skulls often decorated with white frosting to
look like twisted bones . These are surrounded with candles,
incense, and yellow marigolds. Some believe the deceased visit the
living on October 31 and leave on November 2. Often a wash basin and clean
hand towel are provided so that visiting souls can freshen up before the
feast. The offering may also include a pack of cigarettes for the
after-dinner enjoyment of former smokers who did not die of lung cancer or a
selection of toys and extra sweets for deceased children.
On November 2, family members gather at the cemetery for festive gravesite
reunions more. Some bring along picnic baskets, bottles of tequila for
toasting the departed or even a mariachi band to lead a heartfelt
sing-along. Local merchants set up provisional stands outside the cemetery
gates to sell food and drinks. There are often fireworks rockets may
announce the commencement of an open-air memorial mass. A common symbol of
the holiday is the skull which celebrants represent in masks,
pan de muertos
and sugar skulls, which are inscribed with
the name of the recipient on the forehead. Sugar skulls are gifts that can
be given to both the living and the dead. For those who want to learn more
about this celebration, I recommend The Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos
by Denis Defibaugh, an extraordinary book of photographs of
the festivities.
Many other
countries also celebrate All Soul's Day. In Austria, some believe that
the departed souls wander the forests, praying for release on this day
In Poland, the souls are said to visit their parish churches at
midnight, where a light can be seen because of their presence.
Afterward, they visit their families, and to make them welcome, a door
or window is left open. In many places, a place is set for the dead at
supper, or food is otherwise left out for them. The Italians may have
the greatest variety of celebratory foods for All Souls Day. In Emilia-Romagna there is
piada dei morti (dead man's
dough), a bread dough made with brewer's yeast and massaged with olive oil,
Marsala wine, walnuts, almonds and raisins. The Sicilians elaborate the
tradition with frutta dei norti (fruit of the dead), another fruited
bread which was originally placed before the
tombs
of departed
family members. There is also an Abruzzi specialty, polpi in purgatorio
(baby octopus cooked with tomato,
garlic, and parsley
in a hot peppered tomato sauce).
The English celebrate the date with punfully delicious Soles in their Coffins (baked potatoes stuffed
with fillet of soles, mushrooms, and crabmeat in a wine sauce). The French
occasionally prepare the a variation of this dish called Alouettes en
Lincceui (baked potatoes stuffed with lark and truffles).
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