Day of the Dead #2: Fancy-dressed skeletons

La Catrina from Diane Pearl's *

Of all the things that I didn’t get when I wound up in Mexico during Día de los Muertos, the strangest were all the fancy dressed skeletons. I was accustomed to seeing skeletons at Halloween, but not in ball gowns.

 

I blame my avoidance of all things death on my childhood (of course). My mother's family came from Arkansas, and one of their biggest days of the year was Decoration Day, now called Memorial Day. Back then, everyone went to the cemeteries, cleaned and decorated the graves, and had a thoroughly miserable time. 

As a young kid who didn't know any of the people who were prompting that weeping and wailing, I put it on the list of things I didn't like. So, my intention as the Day of the Dead celebration approached was to simply ignore it. Fat chance!

A story about a poor boy with artistic talent started my turnaround. I’m not sure why I wound up at a lecture by Marina Aguirre at the English Library in Mérida, subject: the symbolism of Dia de los Muertos. But, there I was, and as often happens when I do something that doesn’t particularly appeal to me, I wound up surprised and delighted.

The basics of the multi-day Day of the Dead celebration were familiar to me, but the nuances of Aguirre’s talk made it much richer than I had previously understood. This celebration isn’t about grieving as much as it is connecting with and honoring the ancestors who are still part of the family even if they no longer have bodies. It’s a time to honor and remember them, knowing they may even show up or send you blessings if you have attracted them with all the things they love, such as food and flowers, an altar in their honor, music, prayers, and, of course, fancy dressed skeletons.

And, this is where the story comes in. It starts in the early 1900s although its roots trail far back into the past, as do most traditions in Mexico.   One of the most popular symbols of the Day of the Dead is La Catrina, a skeleton in fancy dress. It is said that her roots come from the Aztec death goddess, Mictecacihuatl (pronounced [mik.teː.ka.ˈsí.waːt͡ɬ], literally Lady of the Dead - Wikipedia), but her current popularity began with Jose Guadalupe Posada.

 

Jose was a poor boy with a talent for drawing and a keen eye for the trends of the times. Under the controversial leader Porfirio Díaz, the rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer. It was a time when all things white and European were good and all things brown and Indigenous were to be avoided, if you had the money to do so.

History note: José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican general and politician who served seven terms as President of Mexico,  from 1884 to 1911. The Mexican Revolution began during his presidency in 1910 and lasted until 1920.

Posada became a printmaker and, noticing what was going on his country, he began making a series of prints called calaveras which show skeletons and skulls with painted white faces dressed in fancy costumes. The dual symbolism of the emptiness of the European-focused society and that death did not discriminate between the wealthy and the poor struck a chord. The print that would become most well-known was called

La Catrina

Calavera de la Catrina (Skull of the Female Dandy) and shows a skull wearing a huge, European-style hat, only worn by the wealthy. 

Unfortunately for Jose, these prints were not destined to bring him fame or fortune. He died poor and unknown in 1913. La Catrina, however, did not die.

Rivera's Mural

Several years after Posada’s death, muralist Diego Rivera brought Catrina and Posada into the popular imagination when he placed Catrina front and center in his mural, Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central or Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central, a mural that represents over 400 years of Mexican history and is in Museo Mural Diego Rivera in Mexico City.

In the mural, Rivera is standing beside an elegantly dressed Catrina and she is holding the hand of a young boy, representing a young Rivera. Behind them stands Frida Kahlo, Rivera’s wife. And, while the mural was painted in the mid-1900s, La Catrina’s popularity has grown steadily since then and can be seen almost everywhere, especially in the lead up to the Día de los Muertos celebration which begins October 31 and continues through November 2nd. She will be seen in stores, homes, altars and walking around during the celebrations as people don La Catrina costumes.

Diane Pearl and Maricruz Ibarra Macias

My appreciation for this celebration has grown over my time here in Mexico, especially when I had a chance to speak with Maricruz Ibarra Macias who works with Diane Pearl at a most amazing folk art and gift shop here in Ajijic. She helped me see the layer of humor behind this celebration and how it helps people honor their ancestors ... and, not take death so seriously. If you're in Ajijic on November 2nd, I highly recommend a visit to this colorful shop on the corner of Ocampo and Colon. Maricruz wouldn't tell me what her costume is this year, but here's a picture of her with Diane Pearl last year. 

Somehow, this plate makes me feel the humor in all of this:

 

And, I'm very taken with this skull ... 

Skull from Diane Pearl's

Previous Day of the Dead Episodes:

Day of the Dead, Episode #1: Beyond pumpkins, candy, costumes and spider webs

* Special thanks to Diane Pearl Colecciones, an incredible gift shop, art gallery and jewelry store here in Ajijic, Mexico, and to Maricruz Ibarra Macias for background information and photos.

The background banner for the first La Catrina comes Escaparate Creativo Blog.

Skeletons in Fancy Dress

A Calavera in San Miguel

I've never been a fan of Halloween or El Día de los Muertos ... perhaps it's all those skulls and skeletons. However, I am a sucker for a good story, especially those unsung-hero ones, so imagine my surprise when these two things came together.

I know I've been bucking the trend on Halloween for years as it continues to grow in popularity.  Perhaps I can blame my antipathy on my childhood. My mother's family came from Van Buren, Arkansas, and one of their biggest days of the year was Memorial Day, what we called Decoration Day back then because everyone went to the cemeteries and decorated the graves and had a thoroughly miserable time. 

As a young kid who didn't know any the people who were prompting that weeping and wailing, I put it on the list of things I didn't like. That dislike of being around death transferred to Halloween and what I knew about the Day of the Dead which is coming up in two weeks and is one of the biggest times of the year here in Mexico.

I'm not quite sure why I decided to go to a lecture by Marina Aguirre on the symbolism of this day when I saw it posted at the English Library in Mérida. But, I did, and as often happens when I go to something not knowing why I'm going, surprise and fascination appear ... grinning ... and hand me a little gift bag tied up with a bow.

I was fairly familiar with the concept of the celebration (actually three days) as being one to honor the ancestors but some of the nuances make it much richer than I thought. The belief is that the ancestors actually show up ... if you have attracted them with candles or luminaries and added their photos or favorite things to the altar ... and then they need to be cared for ... fed with sweets and treats (and these offerings are not for the living), cheered with bright marigolds (again, never given to the living) and music. And, when the ancestors are happy, they can bring blessings to your life.

What I didn't know was the story behind all those skulls and skeletons, especially the ones in fancy costumes. It’s a tradition that started, and grew, through artists ... and politics ...  a particularly potent combination, especially in places where speech is not exactly free.

Catrina

The first hero of the story is Jose Guadalupe Posada, a poor boy with a talent for drawing and a keen eye for the trends of the times. Under the controversial leader Porfirio Díaz, the rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer. It was a time when all things white and European were good and all things brown and indigenous were to be avoided if you had the money to do so.

Posada became a printmaker and, noticing what was going on his country, he began making a series of prints called calaveras which show skeletons and skulls with painted white faces dressed in fancy costumes. The one that would become famous was called Calavera de la Catrina (Skull of the Female Dandy) and shows a skull wearing a huge, European-style hat. However, it was not destined to bring Posada fame or fortune. He died poor and unknown in 1913.

Several years later while visiting Diego Rivera, the French artist Jean Charlot was introduced to Posada’s prints and brought them to a larger audience. However, it was Rivera himself that brought Catrina and Posada into the popular imagination and launched the familiar symbology of the Day of the Dead when he brought Catrina front and center in his mural, Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central or Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central which is in Museo Mural Diego Rivera in Mexico City. In the mural, Rivera is standing beside Catrina and she is holding the hand of a representation of Rivera as a young boy. Behind them stands Frida Kahlo, Rivera’s wife.

So, now that I understand a bit more about the symbology behind all of this, it doesn't seem as much like a focus on death but more of a celebration of the duality of life and death. 

If I live long enough, perhaps wisdom will arrive. Anyway, I will look at the celebrations this year with completely different eyes, especially since I will be right in the midst of them.