Every year, On November 2, one of the most deeply rooted traditions in our culture is celebrated: the “Day of the Dead”. This date of special importance in the calendar of popular festivals is characterized for showcasing a unique set of rites, customs and folklore.
According to the work done by various researchers, the “Day of the Dead”, like many other Catholic traditions, has its origin in ancient pagan festivals, as is the case of the Celts’ New Year’s Eve rites (November 1) in honor of the god of the dead, Samhain.
In the year 998, Saint Odilo established for November 2, the feast of All Souls’ Day in the Benedictine order.
In the fourteenth century, Rome accepted it and extended it to all of Christendom. On the other hand, the pre-Hispanic civilizations of America also worshiped death, so the Christian missions had to adopt many of the indigenous rites and symbols to achieve their evangelization.
Today, All Souls’ Day is the occasion on which Catholicism honors the memory of those who have passed from this world. In our culture specifically, this translates into rites such as the celebration of the Mass for the Dead and the visit to the cemetery to bring offerings of food, flowers, cards and purple paper crowns to the tombs of the dead. All this is done to express, in this symbolic way, the idea that the deceased are still in connection with the living and that they are able to enjoy these presents in the afterlife.
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