Day of the Dead - Anthony's Version

My 16-year-old grandson Anthony, as part of a project for his sophomore Spanish class, made a Day of the Dead altar honoring his late grandfather, Rudy. This afternoon several high schools from surrounding areas came to Redondo High School to view the student projects. Included was an area dedicated to a beloved staff member Betty Smith who had just passed away two weeks ago. Anthony's tribute includes a photo of his grandfather with him when he was small and included some of Rudy's favorite things--a pack of Marlboros, a Butterfinger, a soda cracker. The sides and back of the altar, known as an ofrenda, have several other symbols and memorabilia from his grandfather. All day I have been working on my own ofrenda, which I'll post tomorrow.

Dios de los Muertos in a Nutshell

More than 500 years ago, when the Spanish Conquistadors landed in what is now Mexico, they encountered natives practicing a ritual that seemed to mock death. It was a ritual the indigenous people had been practicing at least 3,000 years and that the Spaniards would try unsuccessfully to eradicate.
Those of us who live in the United States and are influenced by our Mexican and Central American friends and relatives keep the ritual alive--Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

Today, people don wooden skull masks called calacas and dance in honor of their deceased relatives. The wooden skulls are also placed on altars that are dedicated to the dead. Sugar skulls, made with the names of the dead person on the forehead, are eaten by a relative or friend. The Aztecs and other Meso-American civilizations kept skulls as trophies and displayed them during the ritual. The skulls were used to symbolize death and rebirth.

The skulls were used to honor the dead, whom the Aztecs and other Meso-American civilizations believed came back to visit during the month-long ritual.

Unlike the Spaniards, who viewed death as the end of life, the natives viewed it as the continuation of life. Instead of fearing death, they embraced it. To them, life was a dream and only in death did they become truly awake.

To make the ritual more Christian, the Spaniards moved it so it coincided with All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day (Nov. 1 and 2), which is when it is celebrated today.

Day of the Dead is a Mexican tradition combining native Aztec and Roman Catholic practices and beliefs.