Dia de los Muertos is Mestizo Kolcha
All ethnicities have their own unique way of honouring the dead. The Mestizo culture is no different. Mestizos and Mexicans are at this time preparing for Dia de los Muertos, which is set for November first and second, each year. In Belize,
as in Mexico and several other countries where Hispanic people live, the occasion is observed for at least two days. The event can be extravagant, including full course meals that the deceased persons enjoyed when they were alive. And the ceremonies held in their honour can also be extensive, with all-day visits to and picnics at their tombs. In this week’s edition of Kolcha Tuesday, News Five’s Marion Ali takes a look at Dia de los Muertos, as celebrated by the Mestizos.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The altar at the Institute of Culture and Cooperation, Mexico-Belize on Marine Parade is already being prepared for November first. That will mark the start of several days of the event and a display showcasing different foods and sweets that Mexicans ancestors liked when they were alive.
Francisco Zamora, Head, Institute of Culture, Mexico-Belize
Francisco Zamora
“According to pre-Hispanic traditions, mixed with the Christianity, one day a year, all our late ancestors or late parents, grandparents, children, or people who died, pass away, they are allowed to go from the other world to come here and enjoy one day with the rest of the family. For example, the Aztecs believe that they came from the underworld to enjoy one night like drinking, eating – the family food of the deceased, tell jokes, sing together. So it’s not a sad celebration. Actually, it’s more for honoring life, honoring the memories of the people who came before us.”
Francisco Zamora is the Head of the Institute of Culture, Mexico-Belize. He shared that the occasion is celebrated with all the treats that their dead liked, and the variety could be extensive.
Francisco Zamora
“We want to make our ancestors have the food that they liked, their favorite food, their favorite drinks, the best photos, the special mementos that they had, so that makes them feel welcome back to the family because they are still part of the family. They never left us, even if they change to a different reality or different path, according to the pre expanding mythology. So, they will be with us, and in these days, they come to visit us.”
In Belize, Mestizoes observe the day as well, as Jenny Martinez, organizer of next week’s Finados in Benque Viejo tells us. But it has a slightly different twist. Deceased children are given the first day, known in English as All Saints Day.
Jenny Martinez, Organizer, Finados, Benque Viejo
Jenny Martinez
“On the first of November, which will be, I guess it’s going to be Wednesday or Thursday, we call it the All Saints Day. So we would normally put up an altar for our saints. Our saints would normally be our babies, or if you have a child that didn’t make it through infancy, we would put up an altar and the altar would normally have pictures of the children or the babies.”
Thereafter, deceased adults are honoured.
Jenny Martinez
“And then on the 2nd of November, we do celebrate All Souls Day and we would put up an altar with the photos or images of the deceased ones, of the people that have died before us, of the adults and this altar includes candles. They would normally put black candles because the black candles represent the process of dying and the lights represent life. So, this altar would be decorated with black candles. Many people use colourful candles or any kind that you have, but the part of the tradition was putting black candles. And then you would put food, whatever food they would like – your deceased ones would have love: chocolates, rice and beans, boyos, tamales. And then on the back you would put their pictures. And then on that day on the 1st of November, people would normally go to the cemetery. And leave flowers and candles and they would actually take food to the cemetery on the first and on the second.”
But while the altars for the dead are adorn with decorations depicting skeletons, it is not to be confused with Halloween, which is another tradition celebrated by western culture.
Jenny Martinez
“As part of our traditional culture, we used to dress as duendes or lloronas or ishtabai. And we used to go out on the streets and ask for ispasha, which is the atole, and they would give us special treats, for example, fudges, or any special delicacies, sweet delicacies that the people would make, that is what they would give us. And they would also give you boyos. So, that was part of our tradition back then, and it is still, but it’s been like evolving more into the Halloween event of actually going out and trick or treat and having the people give you sweets. So there’s a kind of a confusion, but we still try to instill the culture into the people of our society.”
Francisco Zamora
“The skeleton is just another stage of our eternal traveling. So when we put the skeletons, it’s just to remember that after we leave this world, we are going to continue traveling and we are going to join our ancestors. We are making fun of death because we are not afraid of death. We consider death as a new beginning in another realm. That’s why we put the skeletons.”
Marion Ali reporting for News 5.
