Blog: Dia de Los Muertos, a Meaningful Tradition that Honors our Antepasados

Written by HECHO Communications Coordinator Amy Dominguez

Celebrating Dia de Los Muertos might be one of my earliest childhood memories.

We’d set up our dining table, bake cakes, buy candy and delicately place every picture we had of my mother’s “angelito,” my tio Mario, who passed away when he was 4. I looked forward to it every year, and still do.

An ancient tradition, Dia de Los Muertos is a day of remembrance honoring and respecting family members who have passed on. During Dia de Los Muertos, families welcome back the souls of their loved ones for a reunion. November 1 marks Dia de Los Inocentes, where children who have passed on are remembered, and November 2 marks Dia de Los Muertos.

Celebrated in Mexico for millennia, Dia De Los Muertos can be traced back to the rituals in place that were practiced by Indigenous tribes to honor the dead. In Aztec custom, after a person passes away, they begin a long journey into the afterworld. After getting through the various levels of the Land of the Dead, they would finally reach their penultimate resting place. To assist their deceased on their journey through the afterworld, family members would leave food or other offerings to help with the journey. For this reason, family ofrendas (altars) are typically shown with food and drink.

Traditions like Dia de Los Muertos connect us to our ancestors – practicing traditions that they also did, while remembering their impact on our lives. Preserving and practicing centuries-old cultural traditions is to preserve a legacy, and our own history. To ensure that future generations have the capacity to practice these traditions, we must include them and teach them about why this meaningful practice must carry on.

This year I’ll be adding my great grandmother, my mama Rosa, to our family altar. I found my favorite picture of her, and a beautiful frame to honor her with that I’m looking forward to including. I’ll ask my family members about her favorite snacks, and place them on the altar so that she can enjoy a treat after her journey to visit us. I’ll play my favorite song of remembrance, “Amor Eterno,” and pray that my ancestors continue to guide me.