Dia de los Muertos

My friend Maria, who lives in Tucson, sent me a copy of her missive to Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort in response to their invitation to their Dia de los Muertos "festive" Brunch. I share this with her permission.

To: Hacienda del Sol (Tucson, Arizona)

Subject: The Real Meaning of El Dia de los Muertos:

Dia de los Muertos is a celebration that honors the dead and reflects the belief in the cyclical nature of life and death. It is a time when the living come together to remember and celebrate the lives of those who have passed away. The holiday is a blend of ancient Aztec traditions and sacred Catholic elements, creating a unique cultural tapestry, like no other. Families create altars, known as ofrendas, adorned with photos, moments, and favorite foods and beverages of the deceased. These offerings invite spirits to return for a brief visit, filling the atmosphere with joy and remembrance rather than sorrow. The origins of Dia de los Muertos can be traced back thousands of years to the Aztec civilization, where they honored their deceased ancestors through rituals and ceremonies. The holiday has grown in popularity in the Latino communities in the United States and continues to spread around the world, emphasizing the importance of remembering and celebrating the lives of those who have passed away.

This day is NOT about brunch and cocktails. I find your event to "celebrate" this sacred holiday at best - clueless and at worst - disrespectful. How many of your guests will understand the real meaning behind this holiday? Without an authentic cultural context, your event to me is just another commercialization of Mexican culture and history.

You folks can do better! This is Tucson Arizona for Pete-sakes!

How do we honor our ancestors?

Questions for mi gente: What are your family traditions around remembering the dead? Do you still follow these traditions? If you did not grow up observing Dia de los Muertos, have you now sought to make this part of your life?

For my non-Latino readers, when and how did you first learn about Dia de los Muertos? How does it relate to your life, if at all? Have you participated in any Dia de los Muertos activities, like going to a Museum Exhibit or even making or helping build an altar in your home or community?

No matter how long our families have lived in the United States, our cultures and traditions are always changing, influenced by the people around us. If we are lucky, we have friends and neighbors from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. The high rates of intermarriage mean that many of our families blend different cultural backgrounds. I clearly remember our son sitting next to his Dad at the kitchen table; Tony was eating tamales, and Mark was having gefilte fish and horseradish. That is a beautiful part about living in the United States. We celebrate and enjoy the foods and traditions of others in our communities.

Many people first became familiar with Dia de los Muertos when Pixar's widely acclaimed movie "Coco" featured aspects of Mexican culture related to life, death, and family traditions. Side note: Do you recall that Disney (which owns Pixar) sought to trademark "Dia de los Muertos" in anticipation of releasing the film and its marketing campaign, selling everything from Coco-themed snacks to toys and clothing. It was audacious of Disney to think it could trademark a holiday from another country that has been observed for hundreds of years. Imagine an effort to trademark Yom Kippur.

Political cartoonist and activist Lalo Alcaraz created this Muerte Mouse cartoon mocking Disney's attempts and casting beloved Mickey Mouse in a not-so-festive light. Following the public outcry from the Latino community, Disney withdrew its trademark application. Before Muerto Mouse, he created Migra Mouse and always has insightful commentary, capturing the horrors of the current Trump Regime and its abuses. If you aren't familiar with Lalo Alcaraz' work, I highly recommend you follow him on social media. Enter his name and you'll find him on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and elsewhere. And on a side note, Lalo was among several consultants to Disney/Pixar on Coco to ensure its authentic portrayal.

Now, back to my childhood and how we honored our antepasados. In my home and among family and friends in rural South Texas (back in the Fifties and Sixties), we did not have elaborate altars with papier-mâché figures of calacas y catrinas, papel picado, or food and drink offerings like those we typically see now in beautiful, colorful Dia de los Muertos displays.

Many families had a special place in their homes that held votive candles, and perhaps a picture or a small statue of a favored saint. I, too, have such a place in my study, honoring La Virgen de Guadalupe, beloved in Mexico and throughout Latin America, and by many Latino families (especially Mexican-Americans) here in the United States.

Several days before All Souls' Day, November 2nd, el Dia de los Finados (as my relatives called it and known also as Dia de los Difuntos), our family would make the two-hour drive south from Alice (my hometown) to Escobares, Texas, the ranchito where my father's family had lived for generations. My paternal grandmother was a member of the Escobar clan. The closest Mexican town to Escobares, nine miles away, is Ciudad Miguel Aleman across the Rio Grande River from Roma, Texas. The streets of Ciudad Miguel Aleman were lined with vendors selling flowers, mainly marigolds. It was much cheaper to buy flores en Mejico, than en los Estados Unidos. In those visits, we paid our respects at the gravesides of my father's extended family. We would then return home and bring flowers to the historic (and segregated) Collins Cemetery in Alice, Texas, the burial place of my mother's side of the family. Visits to the cemetery included cleaning the area and ensuring that everything was in good order. We delivered the flowers, offered prayers, and remembered our departed relatives.

I greatly appreciate the time, effort, and good intentions devoted to creating altars and public offerings at museums, schools, libraries, hospitals, and many other institutions that acknowledge the Day of the Dead. I was glad to learn about this holiday celebration many years ago, and I appreciate how it connects to my ancestral roots, even though it wasn't part of my childhood. I hope to be introduced to the traditions of other cultures and communities and to observe them respectfully.