Saturday, September 24, 2016

Dead Day 101: Traditions we love

We think it was around 1995 and we think there were about six of us: Preciliana Sandoval, Irene Oliver-Lewis, Jean McDonnell, Debbie Pinkerton, Sherry Doil-Carter and me. We all stood on the Mesilla Plaza and decided it was time to have a Día de Los Muertos gathering there.
We were all influenced by a lot of what was going on. Lalo Natividad and the late Richard Weeks had formed El Grupo Cultural, bringing traditional borderland festivals and celebrations back to Mesilla. Phyllis Franzoy and Erlinda Portillo founded the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference. Santiago and Zandra Santanova had Dead Day exhibits at their galleries. José Tena built traditional altars and hosted a posole party every year, first at the Branigan Cultural Center and later at Academia de Dolores Huerta. There are been many who have been in it from the beginning and have kept the spirit of Dead alive in Mesilla since: Peggy King, Barbara Shaffer and Blanca Araujo with the Calavera Coalition, the late Miguel Silva, and later, Kirstie Robles with the Backyard Bones Brigade. Denise Chavez had some Book Festival Dead Day events in Mesilla and Las Cruces. Galleries and museums throughout the Mesilla Valley started hosting Dia de los Muertos exhibits and special events. (Please forgive us for not mentioning all of you who’ve contributed to the rebirth and expansion of traditions. Archives have been lost and many of us are viejas and viejos now.)
Some of us believe los difuntos, our dear departed souls, encouraged us, too, to find more creative ways to honor their lives.

You all inspired me to assemble and share this little guide to Días de los Muertos, a tradition continuing one more time after my departure (from the Sun-News, but not the planet). Here it is.
Día de los Muertos has been called “a day when heaven and earth meet” and “a celebration of lives well-lived.” In Las Cruces, it has become a beloved tradition, a time when Borderland cultures blend, showcasing and sometimes creatively combining Spanish, Mexican, American Indian and Anglo customs and beliefs.
Día De Los Muertos “is not a morbid holiday but a festive remembrance of Los Angelitos (children) and all souls (Los Difuntos),” according to a statement from the Calavera Coalition of Mesilla. “This celebration originated with the indigenous people of the American continent, the Aztec, Mayan, Toltec and the Inca. Now, many of the festivities have been transformed from their original pre-Hispanic origins. It is still celebrated throughout North America among Native American tribes. The Spanish arrived and they altered the celebration to coincide with the Catholic celebrations of All Saints Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls Day (Nov. 2).”
Here is a guide to some important terms and concepts relating to Day of the Dead celebrations, collected during more than 20 years of commemorations here.
 alfeñique: Molded sugar figures used in altars for the dead.
 ancianos: Grandparents or elderly friends or relatives who have died; ancestors honored during the first (north) part of processions for Day of the Dead.
 angelitos: Literally “little angels,” refers to departed children and babies, traditionally honored during the first day of celebrations, Nov. 1, and the third (south) part of processions honoring the dead.
 anima sola: A lonely soul or spirit who died far from home or who is without amigos or relatives to take responsibility for its care.
 calascas: Handmade skeleton figurines which display an active and joyful afterlife, such as musicians or skeleton brides and grooms in wedding finery.
 calaveras: Skeletons, used in many ways for celebrations: bread and candies in the shape of skeletons are traditional, along with everything from small and large figures and decorations, skeleton head rattles, candles, masks, jewelry and T-shirts. It’s also the term for skull masks, often painted with bright colors and flowers and used in displays and worn in Day of the Dead processions.
 literary calaveras: Poetic tributes written for departed loved ones or things mourned and/or as mock epitaphs.
 Catrin and Catrina: Formally dressed couple, or bride and groom skeletons, popularized by renowned Mexican graphic artist and political cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada (1851-1913). In modern celebrations, Catrina is particularly popular and appears in many stylish outfits.
 copal: A fragrant resin from a Mexican tree used as incense, burned alone or mixed with sage in processions in honor of the dead.
 Días de los Muertos: Days of the Dead, usually celebrated on Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 (the official date for Day of the Dead) in conjunction with All Souls Days or Todos Santos, the Catholic Feast of All Saints. Various Borderland communities, including Las Cruces, have their own celebration schedules in October and November. Look for altars and art exhibits around the Mesilla Valley, and our largest area celebration Oct. 29 and 30 on the Mesilla Plaza, also the site of a procession beginning at dusk Nov. 2.
 Difunto: Deceased soul, corpse, cadaver.
 La Flaca: Nickname for the female death figure, also known as La Muerte.
 Frida Kahlo: Mexican artist who collected objects related to the Day of the Dead. Her photo often appears in Día de los Muertos shrines or retablos.
 Los Guerreros: Literally, “the warriors,” are dead fathers, husbands, brothers and sons honored in the final (east) stop in Día De Los Muertos processions.
 marigolds: In Mexico, marigolds or “cempasuchil” are officially known as the “flower of the dead.” The flowers are added to processional wreaths at each stop, with one blossom representing each departed soul being honored. Sometimes marigold pedals are strewn from the cemetery to a house. Their pungent fragrance is said to help the spirits find their way back home. Mums and paper flowers are also used.
 mariposas: Butterflies, and sometimes hummingbirds, appear with skeletons to symbolize the flight of the soul from the body to heaven.
 masks: Carried or worn during processions and other activities, masks can range from white face paint to simple molded plaster or papier-maché creations or elaborate painted or carved versions that become family heirlooms.
 Las Mujeres: The women who have died are honored during the second (west) stop of Day of the Dead processions. After names of dead mothers, daughters, sisters and friends are called and honored, it is traditional for the crowd to sing a song for the Virgin of Guadalupe.
 Náhuatl poetry: Traditional odes dedicated to the subject of death, dating back to the pre-Columbian era.
 ofrenda: Traditional altar where offerings such as flowers, clothing, food, photographs and objects loved by the departed are placed. The ofrenda may be constructed in the home, usually in the dining room, at a cemetery, or may be carried in a procession. The ofrenda base is often an arch made of bent reeds. It is ornamented with special decorations, sometimes with heirlooms collected by families, much like Christmas ornaments. Decorations may include skeleton figures, toys and musical instruments in addition to offerings for a specific loved one.
 pan de muertos: Literally, “bread of the dead.” It is traditionally baked in the shape of a skull, or calavera, and dusted with pink sugar. Here, local bakeries sometimes include red and green chile decorations.
 papel picado: Decorations made of colored paper cut in intricate patterns.
 Posada: José Guadalupe Posada, (1852-1913), the self-taught “printmaker to the people” and caricaturist was known for his whimsical calaveras, or skeletons, depicted wearing dapper clothes, playing instruments and otherwise nonchalantly conducting their everyday activities, sometimes riding on horse skeletons.
 veladores: Professional mourners who help in the grief process in several ways, including candlelight vigils, prayers and with dramatic weeping and wailing.
 Xolotlitzcuintle: Monster dog, sometimes depicted as a canine skeleton, sometimes as a Mexican hairless breed. Since pre-Columbian times, this Día de los Muertos doggy has, according to legend, been the departed’s friend, helping with the tests of the perilous crossing of the River Chiconauapan to Mictlan, the land of the dead.

S. Derrickson Moore may be reached @derricksonmoore on Twitter or Sandra Derrickson Moore on Facebook.

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