Los Días de los Muertos: Recommended Resources

Los Días de Los Muertos (The Days of the Dead) originated in the modern-day State of Oaxaca in Mexico among the Indigenous peoples there before the arrival of Don Hernán Cortés, a Spanish, Catholic conquistador in April 1519, and subsequent defeat of the Aztec Empire by the Spanish Empire.  The Aztec celebration was held during the Aztec month of Miccailhuitontli and presided over by the goddess Mictecacihuatl, Lady of the Dead.  "The exact date is unknown but it has been speculated that the idea originated with the Olmecs, possibly as long as 3000 years ago." (Penick, 2004). This concept was passed to other Indigenous cultures such as the Toltec, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec and Aztec. Zapotec and Mixtec influence remains strong in Oaxaca (Penick, 2004).  The ancient Mexica (Aztecs) celebrated a number of feast days in honor of the dead, among the most prominent being Miccailhuitontli, or the “Feast of the Little Dead Ones,” on November 1st and Miccailhuitl, or “Feast of the Adult Dead” on November 2nd (Brandes, 1998).

"Following the Spanish conquest of Mexico during the 16th century, there was a strong effort to convert the native population to Catholicism. There was a good deal of reluctance on the part of the indigenous people which resulted in a blending of old customs with the new religion." (Penick, 2004).  All Hallows Eve (now known as Halloween, having evolved from the pagan festival of Samhain) on October 31, All Saints' Day on November 1, and All Souls Day on November 2 roughly coincide with the preexisting end of month-long Los Días de Los Muertos celebrations resulting in present-day events that weave many of these traditions together.  Since the Spanish conquest in the 16th century and after the liberation of Mexico from Spanish rule in the early 19th century, the traditions around Los Días de Los Muertos were chiefly concentrated in and around south and central Mexico by the Indigenous peoples of Mexico and mestizos who kept the practices alive.  In the past few decades, a renewed interest in the traditions of Los Días de Los Muertos has sprung up in many parts of Mexico and the United States in an effort by Mexicans and American chicanos to reclaim their lost heritage following centuries of European colonization and indigenous, cultural erasure.