Día de los Muertos. Day of the Dead in Chiapas

Day of the dead altars in Berriozábal

Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 1st, and I realize that I am posting this in May, but that's just how chaotic life has been! For the big celebration and holiday of Day of the Dead in Mexico, my friend Ángel took me to a town called Berriozábal where they celebrate with elaborate altars, and there is a competition for the best altar (see some of my favorite altars in the photos above).

On Day of the Dead, it is believed that the souls of our deceased loved ones return to visit us. Therefore, on the altars people place many foods and drinks for their loved ones to welcome them back. They also place photos of their loved ones and light candles to help guide them home. The tiers of the altars represent different stages of the afterlife and the altars are filled with many bright orange, Mexican marigold flowers (cempasuchil). These flowers are also often used in agroecology as a natural pest repellant, planted among vegetable beds to deter negative pests and attract beneficial insects and pollinators. For Day of the Dead, the bright, fragrant cempasuchil flowers are used to attract and guide the souls home.

Ángel and I with the Day of the Dead adornments

The pictures below are from the cemetery in Tuxtla, the capital of Chiapas. On the day of the dead, the cemetery is full of families visiting their deceased friends and family. Instead of tears and mourning, people bring food, drinks and plastic chairs to sit around and hang out, share stories and laugh. On the altars, they place their loved ones' favorite foods-- if you look closely you can see a hamburger, tacos, beer, etc! They treat their loved ones very well. I thought it was beautiful to have a day to be close to and remember those who have passed away. In the US, there isn't a day when we do that. Visits to the cemetery are sad, mournful, quiet, usually infrequent. There definitely aren't people gathering to have drinks and laughs and food in our cemeteries.

Adornments and favorite foods on the graves in the Tuxtla cemetery; and a halloween parade at night

While you can now find hamburgers and tacos on cemetery graves of the capital city for the Day of the Dead, most decorations are based on nature and its harvests. The colorful flowers, squashes, corn, beans, etc. depict the beauty and diversity of nature and life. This natural beauty reflects new life and the cycles of birth, growth and death. It feels like a space to reflect that we all live and we all die, and it's a miracle that we are here now. Day of the Dead is a day to be with loved ones, reminisce, and appreciate the cycles of life that we often are disconnected from.

Cempasuchil (Mexican marigold) & an altar of flowers, beans, squash and corn

The systems in place and the way they shape our daily lives-- getting our vegetables shipped in from across the world to our supermarkets, replacing wildflowers with grass lawns, never seeing the animals that we consume or knowing their quality of life-- separate us from the cycles of life and death that are occurring near and far from us. Today it was beautiful to see a celebration of these cycles and their bringing together of people.

The market full of flowers and pumpkins