Create living legacy for loved ones on Día de los Muertos
So many families are having to cope with their losses due to COVID-19.
Día de los Muertos — the Day of the Dead — will have special meaning this year. The loss of family members — and loved ones — is tragic. We must cope with our loss in some way.
Throughout history, losses due to plagues have resulted in the creation of rituals, poetry and songs as a way of coping. In modern times, we sometimes resort to some of these rituals or create new ones.
The ritual of Día de los Muertos dates back 3,000 years in pre-Colombian Mesoamerica. The Aztecs and the Nahuatl, tribes living in central Mexico, saw death as part of the life cycle. On this day, the dead awake and return to the living to eat, drink, dance and play music. This evolved into what is now el Día de los Muertos in which an altar honoring the death of a loved one is created.
In the 19th century, the Day of the Dead was revitalized by José Guadalupe Posada, a Mexican painter and cartoonist, who envisioned Mictecacihuatl, the Aztec goddess of the underworld, as a skeleton. This Aztec goddess became the female symbol for this celebration. La Catrina, as she is called, is the most recognizable icon representing the Day of the Dead. In 2008, the tradition of el Día de los Muertos was inscribed in the Representation List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
One of the rituals connected to el Día de los Muertos in the Hispanic community is the creation of an altar, either at the cemetery or at home, honoring a loved one. It may be decorated with photos, bright flowers and symbols of the things our lost one loved.
I lost one of my sisters two years ago on Nov. 15. If I were to create an altar to her, first, I would place school supplies to represent her job as an elementary school teacher. She was such a dedicated teacher, parents lined up their children to make sure they were enrolled in her class the following year.
Then I would place a paper fan to represent her time as a member of the local school board, where she was instrumental in getting air conditioning in all the schools — new and old.
For sure, I would place some library books. She worked hard convincing the city government to build a library in one of the poorest areas of Brownsville. The only library was far from that neighborhood, making it difficult for those students to use the resources that only a library can provide.
Lastly, I would place a miniature Christmas tree. Every year, she would have at least three full-sized Christmas trees — each with a different theme — in her house.
For those who have lost a loved one to the coronavirus or to another illness, my deep-felt sympathy. Perhaps you can build an altar in their honor. Hopefully, this brings comfort.