Día de los Muertos: A celebration of life

Traditional Day of the Dead to be observed at the Aquinnah Cultural Center.

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Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is anything but somber. It is a spiritual holiday celebrated in Mexico and Central America, dating back to the Aztec empire. And for the fourth time, Jose Sanabria, who came to the Island from Mexico 32 years ago, will bring the celebration to the Vineyard. Everyone is invited to the festivities on Nov. 2, from about 5 to 6 pm at the Aquinnah Cultural Center.

Día de los Muertos is dedicated to Mictēcacihuātl, Queen of Mictlān (the underworld), and has been celebrated since well before Spanish conquistadors invaded and fused the observance with Catholicism.

Sanabria says Mexicans have since transformed Día de los Muertos into a truly unique holiday, during which people commonly wear skull masks and face paint, spending time with their families at the gravesites of loved ones. They construct ofrendas, or colorful altars, with flowers, candles, and photos to invite their departed back to share in family and community meals with specially prepared food. A typical dish, for instance, has a mole sauce, which usually consists of fruits, nuts, chili peppers, and spices like black pepper, cinnamon, or cumin ground or puréed together.

“Día de los Muertos is probably one of the biggest celebrations besides Christmas and New Year,” says Sanabria. “But this day is really important to us. It’s the way we celebrate life. That day our beloveds from the past came from their other world to visit us. Going to the graveyard is magical, and full of spirit. We have a party for them with food they like, and music.”

The music is frequently mariachi, a distinct traditional Mexican folk music that combines brass and string instruments, that dates back to the 18th century. Typically, celebrants will imbibe tequila or beer. “We also burn copal, which is like an incense, to open a portal for people who have passed to come down to us.”

At the event, Sanabria will invite guests to place photographs of their loved ones who have passed on the ofrenda, which will be decorated with marigolds and mums. His friend, Peter Halperin, will be playing recordings of traditional Mexican music played at celebrations.

Sanabria will invite the ancestors in by blowing an atecocolli, a shell that sounds like a horn, traditionally used in the ceremony, and burning copal. He will, likewise, share his knowledge about the Aztec underworld of Mictlān.

Afterward, Sanabria will share his special Mexican hot chocolate. “It’s traditionally made, with dark chocolate and hot water with a touch of hot chilis and cinnamon. There will also be a special sweet bread decorated with dough shaped like bones.”

Sanabria hopes the evening will increase people’s understanding of other cultures. “We are neighbors. But we Mexicans know more about traditions and history here than Americans know about our country. When the Spaniards first came, they thought we were savages. But culturally, sometimes, we were more advanced in medicine, mathematics, and astronomy.”

He also hopes we will come away with an appreciation for life and a perspective on death: “Culturally, for us, to die is a process in the journey that’s part of life. It’s not the end.”

Día de los Muertos will be celebrated on Nov. 2 from 5 to 6 pm at the Aquinnah Cultural Center. Participants are encouraged to bring photographs of loved ones who have passed.