10/27/2024
As Día de Mu***os approaches, we reflect on its roots in our Indigenous cultures, where honoring ancestors is inseparable from honoring the earth. Known as Hanal Pixán (“food for the souls”) in Yucatec Mayan, this tradition highlights the link between people, the land, and life’s cycles. Día de Mu***os embodies respect for ecologies that sustain us. Offerings of food, flowers, and candles reflect reciprocity with the land, honoring resources that nourish both the living and the departed.
Día de Mu***os dates back thousands of years to cultures like the Aztecs, who honored Mictēcacihuātl, goddess of death and Queen of Mictlán (the underworld). Once a year, she ascended to ensure that the bones of the dead—believed to hold the power to create life—were respected. Celebrations of dance, food, and offerings marked her visit.
With Spanish influence, these traditions merged with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, creating the Día de Mu***os we know today. Traditionally celebrated from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, Día de Mu***os honors children (Día de los Angelitos), all saints and deceased children (Día de Todos los Santos), and deceased adults (Día de los Fieles Difuntos), reflecting a universal cycle of life and death.
In Indigenous cultures, elements like the sacred ceiba (tree of life) bridge worlds. Offerings—from marigolds to harvest foods—symbolize care for spirits. Monarch butterflies, seen as returning ancestors in parts of Mexico, remind us of life’s continuity.
This tradition calls us to remember that our ancestors, like us, depended on the land and respected its rhythms. Día de Mu***os is a time to honor loved ones and the natural world that sustains us.
This year, we’re reminded of the struggle to celebrate freely, as the church that holds our farm lease has rejected our observance. Despite this, we stand rooted in our culture and values. We will celebrate with pride, honor who we are, and denounce efforts to suppress us.
Join us in honoring loved ones, celebrating our connection to the earth, and preserving our traditions. This Día de Mu***os, may our culture live not only in memory but in our actions, resistance, and resilience.
