Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Traditions

This morning I saw a photo on Facebook of an ofrenda (offering, altar) in the home of a thoroughly modern young Mexican friend in observance of Día de los Muertos — Day of the Dead. Her photo reminded me of the importance of Día de los Muertos throughout Mexico.

Graves in observance of Día de los Muertos in Tzurumútaro Cemetery,
outskirts of Pátzcuaro, Michoacán 

A few minutes later, I received a lovely note from a long-time, faithful follower of Jenny's blog, letting me know that she is referring first-time visitors to Mexico to Jenny's Día de los Muertos posts. It occurred to me that it might be useful to have them all in one place, so I've listed them at the bottom.

Día de los Muertos is actually a two-day celebration:

November 1 is dedicated to the souls of children who have died and to those of adults who have never married. In the predawn hours of November 2, it is believed that the spirits of all who have died are able to return to their homes, guided by the candles and burning copal (incense).

Families keep vigil through the night to welcome these souls either next to ofrendas set up in their homes, or at their graves in the cemeteries, which are bathed in candlelight. The profusion of traditional orange marigolds gives the light an unforgettable amber glow. In the background is heard the soft murmur of family members conversing quietly in quite an ordinary way. In no wise is this a sad occasion; rather, it is a profound moment for recalling Life in Death.

Día de los Muertos (Link to Page display of Posts described below)

These first three posts were written just after we  moved from Pátzcuaro, Michoacán — where we'd made our home for three years — to Mexico City. Feeling somewhat disoriented in our new urban setting and homesick for the traditions that now felt so far away, I found myself drawn to tell the story of Día de los Muertos as I had come to understand it from the Purhépecha tradition:

• Día de los Muertos: Mesoamerican Roots;
• Día de los Muertos: Preparations;
• Día de los Muertos: Ritual Observances.

This highly personal post deepens the spiritual meaning of death in Purhépecha communities:

• Día de los Muertos: "Yo Soy la Tierra" — "I am the Earth".

Then, last year, I came upon an article in the Mexican press that provided the long-sought answer to a key question about this powerful tradition:

• Day of the Dead Altars: Symbols.

Here's one describing Día de los Muertos Observances in other parts of Mexico:

• Mexico: Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

Here's an excellent account of what happens in the first four years after death, grounding the tradition in 'Aztec' (Nahua) philosophy.

• What Day of the Dead tells us about the Aztec philosophy of Living Well, Lynn Sebastian Purcell, PhD, The Conversation, October 30, 2020.