Family Seasons

Yesterday my Spanish conversation class met at El Jacalito, a Mexican restaurant here in Pocatello. I admit that I'm not a big fan of many of the spices and seasonings used in Mexican cooking but even I found plenty to eat and enjoyed the meal immensely.

Because of the date, our class subject for the night was Día de los Muertos.

Here's part of the material we covered:

Increasingly, Hispanic traditions and celebrations are going mainstream. Such is the case for Día de los Muertos; more non-Hispanics are visiting the graves and honoring the memory of passed loved ones with altars decorated with skulls and most importantly, delicious plates of food. To help celebrate, the National Honey Board recreated wonderful and traditional Día de los Muertos recipes made with honey, a customary ingredient that according to legend, gives a unique sweetness to the journey from life on earth to life after death.

Día de los Muertos, celebrated on November 2nd, is originally an Aztec custom celebrating their dead during the ninth month of the Solar Calendar. Although the original festivities have changed through time, their essence is intact. And although the authentic human skulls have been replaced by candy imitations, these representations along with paintings, costumes and art forms symbolize death as the birth of a new life.

The Spanish colony brought the Catholic faith to the new world and missionaries tried to make death a more solemn event. However, much of the Aztec tradition prevailed and their fusion became the Día de los Muertos as we know it today. Día de los Muertos festivals have grown and they aren’t only practiced in Mexico anymore but also in many U.S. cities where people of diverse backgrounds can be found enjoying the celebrations.

Día de los Muertos traditions entail visiting loved ones’ tombs where it’s customary to place offerings such as food, candles, a picture of the deceased as well as his/her favorite dishes. Family and friends share traditional delicacies made with honey such as Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead), buñuelos (fried sweet pastry), miniature sugar skulls and atole. -- Press Release, National Honey Board, October 2007 (PDF)