Día de los Difuntos + Día de los Muertos
Today, November 1st, marks the first of two very special days in Latin America.
Known as Día de los Difuntos in Central America, where my family is from, and Día de los Muertos in Mexico, this celebration serves as a time to honor ancestors and beloved deceased family members. Observed for thousands of years, the tradition has roots dating back to pre-Hispanic times. Today the festivities are a blend of ancient and Catholic rituals and split into two days with November 1 known as Day of Innocents to honor those lost as infants and children, and November 2 to honor adults.
While many cultures see death as a macabre and somber ending, Día de los Difuntos is a rich tradition that is truly a celebration full of vibrant colors, delicious foods, and joy through remembering and even being revisited by departed loved ones, for it is believed that during these two nights the souls of our ancestors and deceased family members are allowed to cross back from the world of the dead into the world of the living.
Throughout Latin America, cemeteries are filled with visiting families who take these nights to clean, adorn, and gather at the graves of their loved ones. Altars are made with candles, flowers, and the favorite foods of the departed as offerings to invite their souls back for a visit.
This year we visited a beautiful community Día de los Muertos altar by artist Scherezade García at Greenwood Cemetery’s Chapel. We live just a few blocks from Greenwood, a beautiful cemetery and arboretum dating back to 1838(!) and so we spend a lot of time on walks here. It is usually very calm and quiet, so it felt so special to see it filled with people to celebrate this magical celebration.
My favorite part of Día de los Difuntos festivities has always been the flor de muerto, also known as cempasúchil or gorgeous Mexican Marigolds. These sumptuously rich orange flowers are found throughout homes, altars, and cemetery gates this time of year. Their bright color and unique fragrance is said to serve as a signal to spirits to come home.
Día de los Muertos truly is a beautiful sight to behold. Though in recent years it has been adopted into American pop culture as “a Latino Halloween,” it really is so much more, it is a beautiful tradition rooted in family, love, and a respect for and joy of life so deep, that it transcends death.
Our Templo scent is actually inspired by ancient ceremonies and sacred spaces of our ancestors, so we’ve been burning it all weekend on our small altar at home surrounded by marigolds.
Wishing you a peace and joy-filled Día de los Difuntos from the Oeste familia to yours.
