Dear Father,
The Spanish-speaking people in my parish are celebrating the Day of the Dead. Is that different from All Souls Day, or is it a different thing altogether? Is it okay to participate in it as a Catholic?
-Willie Mae
Dear Willie Mae,
Yes, Catholics may celebrate the Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos. You will not find the Day of the Dead in the Catholic liturgical calendar. However, it is commonly celebrated by many throughout the Catholic world, especially in Latin America. As with all cultural traditions, we must be careful that the particulars of the celebration do not contradict our Catholic faith.
The Day of the Dead lasts not one, but two days (or three if you count October 31). It coincides with the Catholic feast days of All Saints and All Souls Day (and Halloween). One author suggests that the Day of the Dead is like the American Memorial Day, on which we remember the lives of military personnel who have died in the service of our country.
The origins of the Day of the Dead are unclear. Some claim it began with the Aztecs, while others say it originated in medieval Europe.
On the Day of the Dead, people go to the graves of their beloved relatives and friends. They decorate the graves. So far, this is exactly what one might expect. An interesting twist is that there are often meals at the graves.
Celebrating with food is not so odd, however. Catholics of all cultures typically host a dinner on the day of the funeral after the burial of the deceased. Then, on the anniversary of the death, family and friends often gather and enjoy food and drink. One family I know insists on sharing an ice-cream cake on the anniversary of their mom and grandmom because that’s what she used to love to eat.
On the Day of the Dead, people will make homemade shrines in their homes or at the gravesite. This entails making small altars (or ofrendas) decorated with a cross, candles, incense, images of our Lord and the Saints, skulls, marigold flowers, food and drink, and ornamented pictures of the deceased. They invite the neighbors. Together, they pray for the dead.
When I say that they pray for the dead, I mean all the dead, especially their ancestors. We often only think of those who have died in our immediate families. But on Día de los Muertos, grandparents, great-grandparents, distant cousins, and indeed generations of family members and friends are remembered.
This is an excellent lesson for all Catholics during the month of November. November is traditionally set aside as a month-long time to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. However, we might especially remember to pray for our family ancestors from centuries ago, whom God has used to bring us into being. They were important in the plan of Divine Providence, just so that you can be reading this right now.
Another aspect of the Día de los Muertos is a reminder that we are all headed toward our own particular day of the dead. At some appointed time, on a specific day at a precise hour and minute, we will die. If we are in Purgatory, we will be unable to pray for our salvation, unable to pray to expiate our sins, and unable to practice the life of charity. We will be utterly dependent on the Church (Saints in heaven, Christians living on earth) and our present family and friends, and all future ancestors, for their prayerful assistance.
The skull used for the Day of the Dead is not at all like the macabre and abhorrent hanging skeletons that people place in their yards at Halloween. The skull is a reminder of our impending death. Some of the saints used to keep a skull nearby to remind them of their mortality and to constantly prepare for that day when they would meet the Lord.
Christians are not morose when they think about death if they are living the theological virtue of hope. Divine hope is the confident expectation that God desires us to live with Him for eternity and that He is providing the means for that to occur. Pondering the prospect of our own life’s end is an essential part of the Christian journey to heaven. It is like the plans we make for vacation in a distant land; just as every detail of our earthly trips is considered, so much more our pilgrimage to our Father’s House.
The Day of the Dead is both backward- and forward-looking. This is another good reason to cultivate a culture of protecting human life. Abortion has cut short the possibility of many who would otherwise be interceding for their mothers and fathers, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other ancestors. Snuffing out the life of the incurably sick or the elderly prevents them from uniting their sufferings to the cross of Jesus, both for their sins and for us when we are in purgatory.
There is yet another beautiful Mexican tradition called Día de los Inocentes. It is celebrated on Nov. 1, All Saints Day. It celebrates the lives of baptized infants and young children who died before reaching the age of needing to use the Sacrament of Penance. This beautiful day of giving thanks to God for the lives of these innocents is a consolation to the parents who have lost their children so early in life. How amazing to ponder that these families have saints in heaven to intercede for them.
Questions about the sacraments should be sent to sacraments101@columbuscatholic.org.
Related to: Is Halloween evil? – Catholic Times: Read Catholic News & Stories