Los Dias de Los Muertos y Mexico

Death as an Identity

After such a long journey into the mind of Mexican identity, I feel like I have gained a better understanding of the Day of the Dead's impact on Mexico.  I looked at several factors that relate to Mexico from the interwoven history involving indigenous populations and Spanish invaders all the way to contemporary society that emphasizes this festivity.  From this spectrum of history I looked at the progression of how Mexico sought to understand its own past and appreciate this in the present.  All in all, the common theme that occurred in Mexico is death from the sacrificial ceremonies of the Mexica, the offerings during colonial times, the artistic expression of death in works from Posada, and finally in the expression found in Day of the Dead and the ofrenda.

In trying to answer my question of how Day of the Dead represents Mexico's identification with death, I tried to cover a variety of different approaches and responses to this topic of death.  When looking historically, the Mexica relied upon the use of death as a means of preserving life and would participate in sacrifice.  That aspect of the Mexico presents the duality of life and death that seems eminent in Mexico and Day of the Dead as the living imitate the dead by accepting the presence of death.  This duality is also present in the worship of Santa Muerte, as many Mexicans ask the representation of death to aid them with healing powers or even escape death (like the drug traffickers or police officers/members of the army after them). 

The ofrenda, so common during the Day of the Dead festivities, is another example of Mexico embracing its past and the duality of life and death.  These offerings of food, candy, and other offerings were similar to those found in Spain and Mesoamerica for the spirits of those that passed away or even to keep spirits at bay.  In contemporary Mexico, the families prepare a feast for their deceased relatives once a year as a clear understanding of the constant presence of death in society.  One of the most visible signs of death are the calaveras (either candy or decorated skulls).  These calaveras have been present in the art of Spain and the Mexica and continue to display death as commonly as they would the Virgin of Guadalupe.

The final way I have tried to look at answering this question came most directly with the work of Octavio Paz. With The Labyrinth of Solitude, I was able to figure out how Mexico could view death.  Often times they would embrace death as something guaranteed and they would at times poke fun at death as a means of physically accepting its presence.  Since the theme involved solitude for Mexican people, Paz demonstrated that the Day of the Dead was a way in which Mexican people could interact with other people to embrace this reality of death and perhaps escape their solitude. 

Overall, I enjoyed my experience looking at how Mexico embraces death and how Day of the Dead is the symbol for this relationship.  Death has become almost a national monument for Mexico and it is built on the collective experiences of those that partake in Day of the Dead.