In 1947 artist Diego Rivera featured Posada’s stylized skeleton in his masterpiece mural “Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park.” Posada’s skeletal bust was dressed in a large feminine hat, and Rivera made his female and named her Catrina, slang for “the rich.” Today, the calavera Catrina, or elegant skull, is the Day of the Dead’s most ubiquitous symbol. “ Todos somos calaveras,” a quote commonly attributed to Posada, means “we are all skeletons.” Underneath all our manmade trappings, we are all the same. Posada dressed his personification of death in fancy French garb and called it Calavera Garbancera, intending it as social commentary on Mexican society’s emulation of European sophistication. In the early 20th century, Mexican political cartoonist and lithographer José Guadalupe Posada created an etching to accompany a literary calavera. You’ll find these clever, biting poems in print, read aloud, and broadcast on television and radio programs. These literary calaveras eventually became a popular part of Día de los Muertos celebrations. ![]() Literary calaverasĬalavera means “skull.” But during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, calavera was used to describe short, humorous poems, which were often sarcastic tombstone epitaphs published in newspapers that poked fun at the living. The smoke from copal incense, made from tree resin, transmits praise and prayers and purifies the area around the altar. Scattered from altar to gravesite, marigold petals guide wandering souls back to their place of rest. Marigolds are the main flowers used to decorate the altar. If one of the spirits is a child, you might find small toys on the altar. As such, they’re loaded with offerings-water to quench thirst after the long journey, food, family photos, and a candle for each dead relative. These aren’t altars for worshipping rather, they’re meant to welcome spirits back to the realm of the living. The centerpiece of the celebration is an altar, or ofrenda, built in private homes and cemeteries. It takes place on November 1 and 2-All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on the Catholic calendar-around the time of the fall maize harvest. Today’s Día de los Muertos celebration is a mash-up of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Christian feasts. The dead were still members of the community, kept alive in memory and spirit-and during Día de los Muertos, they temporarily returned to Earth. For these pre-Hispanic cultures, death was a natural phase in life’s long continuum. Unauthorized use is prohibited.ĭay of the Dead originated several thousand years ago with the Aztec, Toltec, and other Nahua people, who considered mourning the dead disrespectful. Additional candles are added for forgotten souls.Please be respectful of copyright. Fire: Visiting souls are illuminated from the shadow of death by candles.Common edibles include fruit, mole, chocolate, and atole. Earth: The soul is nourished by favorite family dishes that represent the crops of the earth.Wind: The papel picado also lets loved one know when the spirits have arrived.The deceased's favorite knickknacks, tools, or toys (for children) create a familiar setting for their return.įour main elements of nature are found on an altar:. ![]() Christian iconography such as a Virgin Mary and Holy Cross reveal the holiday's European roots.Salt, a symbol of purification, is for the dead to season the food you've offered them.Candles represent the cardinal directions and provide a lighted path to this world.Found at most panaderias, the round loaf is topped with a skull and crossbones. Pan de muerto or "bread of the dead" is a sweet treat.Photograph(s) of the person(s) the altar is dedicated to help loved ones to remember them while they were in the prime of their lives.Cempasuchitl, the Aztec term for "marigolds" is the traditional flower used to honor the dead. ![]()
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