SPECIAL EXHIBIT:
SUGAR SKULLS & THE DAY OF THE DEAD
NOT YOUR MAMA'S SKELETON
Mourning the death of loved ones is a natural occurrence of humanity. It is difficult for many to be separated from those they love for the rest of their lives, knowing that their deceased are somewhere beyond the veil. To symbolize the deceased, there are gravestones, black ravens, dark mourning clothes, and mysterious, ominous skeletons. It instills fear and sadness in those that see it. However, in Aztec culture, and later in Mexican culture, the people believed it was important to celebrate the lives of their loved ones rather than grieve them in sadness.
“Dia de los Muertos honors the dead with festivals and lively celebrations, a typically Latin American custom that combines indigenous Aztec ritual with Catholicism” (“Dia de los Muertos”). These celebrations include dancing and eating communally and playing music. All of these festivities together are intended to bring happiness and joy, in order to commemorate loved ones and celebrate the life they lived, knowing that they live on in death.
AZTEC ROOTS
The idea of life continuing even in death and the concept of a Day of the Dead come from ancient Aztec rituals. “The rituals…honored the goddess Mictecacihuatl, who ruled over Mictlan, the underworld where most of the deceased resided” (Awana). These rituals often involved human sacrifice, including the draining of blood, called “bloodletting,” and the offering of human hearts (“Aztec Religion”). The Aztecs seemed to have strong reverence for the dead, taking the lives of their people for their goddess of death. “Aztecs believed ‘life was a dream and only in death did one become truly awake’” (Awana). It is even thought that this reverence for death is carried on into Mexican culture today. “Contemporary Day of the Dead celebrations are the result of a ‘death obsessed’ national character, allegedly inherited from the Aztecs” (Marchi). The Aztecs would have huge Day of the Dead festivals that lasted about a whole month, where they believed their deceased family members could join them. “The Aztecs believed that the souls of the dead traveled to Mictlan, where they found rest. The aroma of copal incense and the bright color and fragrance of cempascuchitl (marigolds) then guided them back to visit their relatives” (“The Day of the Dead”). It was perfectly normal to celebrate the loved ones lost, rather than mourning them, taking joy in the fact that during these festivities, these loved ones could join them. The bright colors and the marigolds highlight the celebrative attitude the Aztecs had. The tradition of bright colors and marigolds is carried on today.
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Another tradition carried on from the Aztecs is making beautiful altars for the deceased, called ofrendas. Traditionally, ofrendas are decorated brightly and colorfully, and are decorated differently for whether they are celebrating the life of a child or an adult.
“November 1 is Dia de los Inocentes, honoring children who have died. Graves are decorated with white orchids and baby's breath. November 2 is Dia de los Muertos, honoring adults, whose graves are decorated with bright orange marigolds” (“Dia de los Muertos”).
Adult ofrendas typically have orange marigolds, tequila or other alcohol bottles, pictures, and other decorations. Children’s ofrendas have favorite toys and food, pictures, and candy – more specifically, sugar skulls (“Dia de los Muertos”). Sugar skulls are sometimes put on adult altars as well. Sugar skulls are beautifully decorated candies molded in clay out of sugar and decorated with vividly colored icing and sprinkles (Kenyon). Rather than using decrepit skeletons and themes of darkness and mourning blacks, Latin American culture treasures the beauty and mystery of the afterlife. “During Day of the Dead, life-size papier-mâché skeletons and miniature plastic or clay skeletons are everywhere. Why? Mexicans honor their ancestors on Day of the Dead, but they're also reminding themselves that death is just a part of life” (“Day of the Dead”). Sugar skulls are a wonderful example of the colorful and happy festivities that surround the attitudes on the Day of the Dead. They believe that their relatives are still there looking after them, joining them on Dia de los Muertos. It is a much happier view of life, rather than focusing on mortality and inevitable death, associating it with loss.
​In Latin American culture on the Day of the Dead, skulls are never meant to be scary. “Calacas (skeleton figures) and calaveras (decorated sugar skulls, often with names on them) might seem macabre to many Americans, but they are not intended to be scary. Rather, they are familiar and humorous, just as Day of the Dead is a time to reflect rather than be sad” (“Poking Fun at Death”). Latin Americans see death as just another part of life. They choose to celebrate life rather than look at death. They view death almost positively, making sure to create a happy event for their passed relatives on Dia de los Muertos, in hopes that their relatives will join them with joy and gratefulness. Even in the time of the Aztecs, skulls were not seen as something to be feared.
CALACAS Y CALAVERAS
“In the pre-Hispanic era, skulls were kept as trophies and displayed during the rituals to symbolize death and rebirth. These ancestors passed down the knowledge that souls exist after death, resting in Mictlan, the land of the dead, not for judgment or resurrection, but for the day each year when they could return home to visit their loved ones” (Eidt).
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Skulls were reminders that their dead loved ones were there with them, celebrating in the festivals alongside them. They were also reminders that dying is inevitable and normal. In Aztec culture, not only were there sacrifices and mass reverence for the goddess of death, but skeletons were displayed proudly. Today, skulls on the Day of the Dead are meant to be happy tokens, gifts for relatives to be placed on ofrendas, and yummy treats for everyone to share.
“Smaller skulls are placed on the ofrenda on November 1st to represent the children who have deceased. On November 2nd they are replaced by larger, more ornate skulls which represent the adults. These decorative skulls have the name of the deceased on the forehead and are decorated with stripes, dots, and swirls of icing to enhance the features of the skulls. These designs are usually whimsical and brightly colored, not morbid or scary” (Kenyon).
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Sugar skulls are a decorative, tasty reminder of passed loved ones.
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Sugar skulls on the Day of the Dead are not only edible treats. “The word calavera means ‘skull’ in Spanish” (Barbezat “Learn”), and not only refers to calaveras de azucar (sugar skulls), but also the many other gorgeously decorated skulls seen around Dia de los Muertos festivities. “Many artists sculpt, paint or create beautiful and ornate skulls to be used as decorations, jewelry, and cloth design” (Kenyon). One of the most popular ways these calaveras are shown is in drawings and artwork. “Calaveras are whimsical caricatures-most commonly drawings- of skulls or skeletons. In most cases, calaveras are depicted in humorous settings” (“Symbols”). These beautiful pieces of art can be seen all throughout the celebrations. They look much like actual sugar skulls, with bright colors and complex patterns. These are happy renditions of skeletons as well. There is no sadness, only humor and the fun of making such elaborately decorated skulls. Another type of skull is the calaca. “Like Calaveras, Calacas are mischievous renditions of skeletal firgures. Calacas include paper mache skull masks and figurines of popular calaveras” (“Symbols”). These humorous skeletons along with the attitudes of the people bring about happiness and celebration for loved ones, rather than grief. “Calacas usually show an active and joyful afterlife. Figures of musicians, generals on horseback, even skeletal brides, in their white bridal gowns marching down the aisles with their boney grooms” (“What Are Calacas?”) Latin American culture continuously shows that death and the afterlife are nothing to be feared or sad about, but rather, something mysterious and full of hope that they will be reunited with their deceased each year.
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Skeletons are not frightening in Latin American culture, and neither is anything associated with death. They see these things as reminders of the inevitabilities of life and revere and even rejoice in them. They even visit the graves of their loved ones to party and await their loved ones’ return.
“In some communities, it is customary to spend the whole night in the cemetery, and people make a party of it, having a picnic supper, playing music, talking and drinking through the night . . . in Day of the Dead festivities, the spirits are joyfully welcomed as family members that one hasn't seen in a year” (Barbezat “Your Guide”).
These festivities make Dia de los Muertos pleasant and cheerful, something to look forward to each year. Rather than something somber like a memorial service that becomes forgotten about in time, with thoughts of the dead becoming dark and frightful, the Day of the Dead is a holiday to remember the life of the ones loved then gone, to feel their presence again, and to bring healing and unity among the family.
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FESTIVE SKELETONS
Skeletons are fun, death isn’t something to be afraid of, and some rituals have become traditions to be revered and respected. These statements seem to sound like a farce, but it isn’t until the culture of Mexico and other Latin American countries is observed and discovered that it can be realized that perhaps death should be perceived in a different light. Sugar skulls are one of the many ways, along with ofrendas, cemetery celebrations, dancing, and communal eating, that show the comfort and merriment that Dia de los Muertos has to offer. Sugar skulls are beautiful representations of loved ones, and when seen around during the time of Harvest, they can be observed as a spectacle, a work of art, and a happy reminder for those who need it.