El Día de los Muertos

People are getting excited! The First and Second of November are getting closer. At a meeting the other day the leaders of the four youth groups that operate here in the University Parish completely lost me. We were planning for this weekend’s extra activity – our celebration of All Saints’ and All Souls’ days. We’re celebrating it early All Souls’ day is known here as “El Día de los Muertos” - the Day of the Dead.

It’s all a bit confusing. To start with All Saints’ Day seems to have disappeared! Then there are the various celebrations around El Día de los Muertos. It seems we’ll offer Mass for the souls of the faithful departed known to the people who come here. There’ll be a box on the altar with their names in it.

Afterwards there’ll be a festival of “Calaveras” – Skulls. These are skulls made of sugar or chocolate and richly decorated. They’re exchanged and eaten. I’ve bought mine in readiness to exchange. It’s sort of like chocolate Easter Eggs and Secret Santa rolled into one!

Sometimes mocking poems – also called Calaveras - are read out. They usually mock authorities and the rich and famous – reminding them their earthly wealth and power wont last beyond the grave.

A highly decorated sugar skull

Las Calaveras originally were used as offerings to the souls of the dead on All Souls’ Day. Each household set up an altar. On the altar were placed food and sweets, especially the favourite ones of the deceased. These remain untouched during the day while the souls have an opportunity to come and enjoy the foods and sweets they enjoyed while they were alive.

A chocolate Calavera

Later the living are able to enjoy what the dead leave behind. One of the seminarians told me in all seriousness that food left on the altar is not as tasty as the same food left somewhere else – the implication being that the souls do take something with them – the taste! He quickly realised I had a somewhat sceptical look on my face and pointed out that it may be because the food and sweets are at room temperature all day and that might account for a lack of taste!

An Alfeñique Chook

The custom of altars and offerings on November 2^nd is a mix of pre-Columbian indigenous traditions and Christian practice. The Aztecs (and other cultures) celebrated the ancestors by offering sacrifices – of fruit, maize, grains, animals – and humans. This practice was “baptised” by the missionaries and joined to the All Souls’ Day commemoration.

As part of our celebrations each of the youth groups is going to make “offerings” according to the tradition of different local indigenous tribes. I’m not entirely sure what these might be – and whether they’ll be offered during Mass or at some other time. Remember I got lost during the discussion with the youth leaders!

Alfeñique Deer

Skull and Bone sweets

I went to the Feria de Alfeñique in the centre of town today to buy my Calavera for the exchange. This is an annual event here in Toluca. There are about a hundred stalls set up selling all sorts of macabre sweets and handcrafts related to the Day of the Dead. I bought several Calaveras and chocolates in the form of bones. Alfeñique comes from Arabic and is a type of spun sugar used to make sweets. Most of the sweets in the stalls aren’t alfeñique – there were even some made from kumara! I’ll have to go back again!