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Dí­a de los Muertos

The Day of the Dead, Coco, and the Bible

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The Hallowe’en/Days of the Dead celebrations are in full swing here in Mexico. And immigration and media are bringing the celebrations to the world, like never before.

In 2015, the James Bond movie Spectre opened with a huge Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City – a parade that didn’t exist until the movie came out. Now the parade is a new tradition, bringing the customs and beliefs into the open for Mexicans and tourists alike.

In 2017, Coco from Pixar/Disney is bringing Day of the Dead traditions to the children – and adults – of the world. With music, colour and humour, and much that is beautiful about Mexico and its traditions, something dangerous will be smuggled into local theatres.

I’ve had some time to think about these traditions, and to hear the perspectives of my Mexican friends (by the way, if you need an introduction, check this post – Days of the Dead (information to check out)). The beliefs connected with the celebration today are a mix of pagan, Roman Catholic, and secular ideas.

Day of the Dead AltarWhat can the Bible tell us about the beliefs that surround the Days of the Dead? Certainly it’s not wrong to remember our ancestors, and to recognize our connection to them. But should we give offerings to the dead? Should we try to communicate with them? Should we bow before the offerings and welcome spirits into our homes? Are the dead really on a journey through the underworld? How should we view death? How should we seek to conquer it – or should we embrace it?

Here are some of the thoughts I’ve been sharing on my blog in Spanish. Maybe if you’re talking to your kids about these traditions, this will be a help.

  1. Do our dead relatives come back to visit us? No. The Bible teaches the death is a permanent separation from life on earth (until the resurrection) (Hebrews 9:27; John 5:28-29). David knew that his dead son would never return to him (2 Samuel 12:23). Job also knew that the dead did not return to their houses (Job 7:8-10). The resurrection of the dead is a future event, when our bodies will be raised. Unbelievers will face judgement on that day, but believers will enjoy eternal life, with no more death. (1 Corinthians 15:42; John 5:28-29)
  2. Should we communicate with the dead? No. Deuteronomy 18:9-12 tells us that consulting the dead was a serious sin for all nations. The prophet Isaiah also warns us about looking for help from the dead (Isaiah 8:19). It’s the Holy Spirit who guides and comforts us. He can use living people, and even the example of those who have passed away. But we should never try to communicate with the dead (John 15:26).
  3. Are the dead on a journey? The Bible teaches that we die once, and then face judgement. The dead are not on a journey to Heaven. They are with Christ, or awaiting condemnation. (Hebrews 9:27; 2 Peter 2:9) Jesus once spoke of a “great chasm” between those under judgement and those in paradise. There is no possibility of redemption after death. The Bible teaches that we will be judged by our works done in our bodies. You should look for forgiveness in Jesus Christ now, before it’s too late. (2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:20-21; Isaiah 55:6-7)
  4. Should we celebrate death? The Bible teaches us that death is something bad, a result of sin. But there is Someone who came back from the dead victorious, who will finally destroy death itself. We celebrate the Sinless Conqueror, Jesus Christ! He is the resurrection and the life. There is no other escape, and no other hope. (1 Corinthians 15:20-26; John 11:25; John 14:6) It is certainly appropriate to cry and mourn when someone we love dies. But as believers in Jesus Christ, we have hope even when we are grieving.
  5. How is death conquered? The only way that we can have victory over death is to be united with the Author of Life. When we come to Him in repentance and faith, we discover that He is a Perfect Saviour. (Acts 3:14-15; Romans 8:2; John 14:6) If you’re not following the Saviour, I have to ask. Do you know that God offers you forgiveness in Jesus, His Son? Turn your back on sin and come to Him today. Don’t rely on your own works, or on any other person, alive or dead, to save you. Put all of your trust in the Perfect Saviour. (Hebrews 7:25; Acts 4:11-12)

It’s hard to talk about death. Death is a terrible thing. But it doesn’t help to sanitize it and bring in non-Biblical beliefs to make it “easier”. The truth is not a Disney movie. God’s Word shows sin and death as realistically horrible, but it also glorifies our Conquering Saviour.

Days of the Dead (information to check out)

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Bread of the Dead (Pan de Muerto)
Bread of the Dead – a common treat this time of year

This weekend Mexico celebrates one of its biggest holidays – the Day(s) of the Dead.  Many believe that spirits of the dead will return tonight and tomorrow night.  Offerings to the dead are left to help them on their journey through the underworld, a religious tradition which combines native and Roman Catholic beliefs.  Many will also use the opportunity to worship Santa Muerte (Saint Death), a skeleton in a white dress that represents death and is said to offer favours, if you perform the right rituals and say the right prayers.  Families will get together in graveyards to decorate the tombstones.

Here are a few posts from past years in case you want to learn more:

Our coworker Jessica also just posted about the Day of the Dead – read about it here.

The Days of the Dead and the United Nations (video)

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Over the last few days I’ve seen people on the streets carrying orange flowers, people mobbing the bakeries for "Day of the Dead Bread", and children bringing various fruits to school for offerings to the dead.  Yes, it’s that time of year again.

I learned something new recently – the Days of the Dead actually has an official worldwide status.  The United Nations, in its effort to catalogue and preserve what it considers to be cultural treasures, has included this celebration on it’s list called the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.  This is a list of 90 intangible items from all around the world, and so apparently the Days of the Dead is one that they consider to be among the most important on a worldwide scale.  (See their write-up on the Days of the Dead here)

The video below comes from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.  From what I know, it’s fairly accurate, although I think it misses the "festive, fun and mocking" side of the celebration that I’ve written about before.

Also, it sort of makes it sound like this is an indigenous festival in just some communities, when in reality it’s a Mexico-wide holiday that’s a highly valued part of the culture.  The recent bicentennial celebration was proof of this, if you happened to see it – of all the things about Mexican culture and history that could have been celebrated, the Days of the Dead took an honoured place…

Familiar Sight on the Days of the Dead

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Most in Mexico are in the midst of celebrating the Days of the Dead.  These celebrations are big business.  One of the things you see a lot of is orange marigolds, which are used in the offerings for the dead.  This was the flower the Aztecs used as well to remember the dead.  It’s not uncommon to see many stalks of sugar cane (also offered to the dead) and piles of orange marigolds for sale, or piled onto trucks.

Offerings are made to dead children on the 1st, and dead adults on the second (of November).

Flower stand in Pachuca

Dia de los Muertos (it’s that time again)

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Day of the Dead decorations
Photo courtesy of Drpoulette

It’s one of the biggest holidays in Mexico, and by some considered to be a tradition that truly defines Mexican culture.  The celebrations take place in about a week – mainly on the 1st and 2nd of November.

Some Mexicans believe that during these times the dead come back to visit the living.  Children on the 1st (the Day of the Innocents, or the Day of the Little Angels), and adults on the 2nd (Día de los Muertos).  The tradition dates back to the days before the Spanish arrived in Mexico – the celebration in some form has probably been going on for thousands of years.

I’ve written about the Day of the Dead before, so I’m just going to point you back to my earlier posts.  The second post includes several links that you can visit for more commentary, pictures and video.

Festival of colour, mockery and family

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Typical Day of the Dead figure
Photo courtesy of drpoulette

Do you want to understand Mexico?  Then you’ll need to learn about the Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead.  That’s why I want to tell you more about it.  However, the Day(s) of the Dead is such a complex thing, I find myself at a loss to know what to say.

The holiday itself is an intersection of life, death, mockery, celebration, family, religion and culture.

For us, it was an intersection of so many of the questions and answers of why we are here – seeing and avoiding, exposing and protecting our children, knowing and not knowing when to speak and when to be silent, understanding and yet wanting to understand, wanting to speak but not being able to, fitting in and standing out.  If it sounds like I’m speaking in riddles, maybe I am – last week was a riddle, and I don’t know the answer.

The celebration really goes from the 31st of October until the 2nd of November.  And if you’re in Canada or the USA and you’re thinking "Hallowe’en", just forget it.  I know Christians have had a lot of discussion – valid discussion – about how to be involved in Hallowe’en traditions.  Hallowe’en has influenced Mexico, but the Day of the Dead celebration is something much different.

Where Canada’s Hallowe’en is mostly considered secular, the Day of the Dead is deeply religious in meaning (though with secular manifestations).  The Day of the Dead is a part of national Mexican identity, so much so that the Mexican government endorses and promotes it.  Foreigners are encouraged (even pressured) to be involved, because "if you want to live here you need to embrace the culture".

As far as I can tell, the Roman Catholic Church does not officially sanction Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations (though it has its own celebration – the solemn All Soul’s Day, where the living help the dead shorten their time in purgatory), but many priests do get involved in the celebrations.

This year the Roman Catholic Church here came out strong against the imported Hallowe’en traditions – claiming that "those who celebrate Halloween are worshipping a culture of death that is the product of a mix of pagan customs.  The worst thing is that this celebration has been identified with neo-pagans, Satanism and occult worship."

The celebration is different wherever you go.  Essentially (and you can read my previous post for a summary), the belief is that this is the time when the dead come back to visit us.  Altars to the dead are set up, and offerings are placed for the dead to enjoy (such as their favourite food, alcohol, etc).

Day of the Dead offering
Part of an offering at our university.
Notice candy skulls, marigolds, "bread of the dead", food, and burning incense in the centre.

The altars are set up in houses, stores, schools, places of business, churches – wherever.  Later, many of the offerings are moved to the cemetery.  Picnics and parties take place in the cemetery – family events.  These are not somber occasions, but times of colour, flowers, food, joking, candy, art, honour, and togetherness.

Our university was alive with Day of the Dead celebrations.  There were altars and offerings all over the place.  Students were asked to go to the market to buy offerings for the dead (and if the student declined, they were questioned strongly).  At Hannah and Nathanael’s school, students were expected to bring flowers for the alter (orange marigolds).  There was a potluck with parents bringing food.  There were art projects, and lots of teaching about how "Mexican" it all is.

Incidentally, I won’t write all the details about what we personally decided about how our family would navigate all these traditions.  That really would take a lot of writing – but feel free to ask us personally!  Suffice to say we had a wild ride trying to know how to follow the Lord, show respect, learn and say what we needed to say.

Buying supplies for the celebration
Buying flowers and traditional bread
for the celebrations

There is considerable debate about how the celebrations relate to traditional Roman Catholic and traditional indigenous beliefs in Mexico.  The Aztecs set aside time to honour the dead and set up offerings for them as well.  Not having a concept of Heaven and Hell, the Aztecs believed in a death "cycle", and a world of the dead that was very similar to the world of the living – and that connected with it.  Some would be reincarnated, others influenced the world of the living in other ways.

Today, any concept of judgement after death is absent.  Good times are remembered, bad times ignored.  The world of the dead is much the same as the world of the living, and the dead visit us and interact with us much as they did when they were alive.  And our actions can help to bring them "salvation".

Mexicans who feel they must reject these beliefs face dishonour in their families, rejection from their culture, uncertainty about how to honour their dead and interact with the living.

The holiday is quite possibly more important here than Christmas and Easter.  Mexican traditions regarding the Day of the Dead have spread around the world.  Related beliefs, such as the veneration of "Saint Death" are on the rise.

Confused?  If not, you should be.  Here are a few more places to look in order to better understand Día de los Muertos…

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