THE DAY OF THE DEAD EXPLORED

Dia de los Muertos Skulls

Over 500 years ago, when Spanish Conquistadors landed in the Mayan Lands of what is now central Mexico, they encountered natives practicing a ritual that seemed to mock death. This ritual has been practiced for at least 3,000 years and although the Spaniards tried to eradicate it, it survived and is known today as Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, which is celebrated November 1st, the day after North America's Halloween.

Dia de los Muertos honors the memory of deceased relatives and ancestors, however it is not a sombre event but one that is extremely colorful and festive. During the Day of Dead festivities, thousands of people take to streets wearing skull masks and dancing in honor of their deceased relatives. Elaborately decorated skulls are placed on altars that are dedicated to the dead, and "Sugar Skulls" made with the names of the dead person on the forehead are lovingly eaten by a relative or friend. Part of the Dia de los Muertos celebrations may include the drinking of Tequila, and at this time of year the decorative Skull Tequila bottles can be a favorite. 

A genuine crystal skull can also be a more permanent symbol of remembrance. While crystal skulls are life-affirming, a "memorial" crystal skull honoring those who have transitioned to the Other Side can bring peace and solace, and can serve as a vessel to hold good memories and love associated with that special person. A crystal skull can also facilitate communion with your loved ones by opening channels to higher dimensions, whether in meditation or through heightened intuitive communication with higher realms.

People are often drawn to crystal skulls during times of major change and transition in their lives, particularly when a loved one passes... A Rose Quartz Crystal Skull is a particular favorite as it heals the heart of past and present pain. It is calming and fills us with love of those remembered. Amethyst Crystal Skulls are ideal for communicating with loved ones beyond the veil, and also facilitates communication with one’s guides, connection with the divine, and communion with higher realms of consciousness.  For those seeking major positive transformation, a Nuummite Crystal Skull may serve as the ideal catalyst to propel forward and attract your desired future.

Skulls for Celebration

As Halloween approaches, skulls are literally coming out of the woodwork and can be seen everywhere. Some people view skulls as a fearsome symbol of death, while ancient cultures have revered skulls as a symbol of eternal life and of consciousness itself. In Mexico, skulls will soon start to appear all over the country, not for Halloween but for the festival of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) where skulls are the main feature of a three-day celebration of life… and death.

Dia de los Muertos has been celebrated in Mexico since the 1500s, but its roots began with the Aztecs 3,000 years ago. It used to be held in August as part of a harvest festival, but Catholic influences moved it to November to coincide with All Saints Day and All Souls Day.

Psychic mediums say that the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is thinnest on the night of Halloween (which was originally a sacred night called All Hallows' Eve), allowing our departed loved ones to more easily commune with us from "The Other Side" at that time. The festival of Dia de los Muertos is celebrated from October 31 to November 2, when it is believed that spirits return from the afterlife to reconnect with their loved ones. November 1st honors the souls of children who have passed away, called Angelitos (little Angels). November 2nd culminates with a celebration for the souls of adults as a way to remember loved ones and their contribution to the family.

During the days leading up to the festival, families build altars in their homes and throughout the city streets. These altars usually include a photograph of the departed as well as seven steps filled with symbols and gifts left for the loved one, including some of their favorite things that they enjoyed in life as a way to welcome them home. Most altars will include candles, colorfully decorated skulls made of sugar known as “sugar skulls”, and pan de muerto – a sweet bread often made into the shape of skulls and bones. During the festival, skull images appear everywhere and people paint their faces to look like skulls.

It is a celebration of the cycle of life as the soul lasts forever. In Mexican culture, it is taught that when a person dies all that remains is the bones, so the soul resides in the bones, which are venerated beyond death. During the Dia de los Muertos festivities, cemeteries are full of revelers having moonlight picnics at the graves of their loved ones, and parading through the streets dressed as skeletons and wearing skull faces. Death is celebrated, not feared, because the souls and the memories live on through generations.

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Sugar Skulls

In North America, many people have family traditions around decorating for Halloween, which was originally known as All Hallow's Eve. In Mexico, part of the tradition for the November 1st "Dias de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead) is the creation of Sugar Skulls - these are edible (and non-edible) skulls usually made of meringue and sugar, colorfully decorated.  As part of the feast to honor the ancestors, the Sugar Skulls bear the name of a loved one that has crossed over.  Dia De Los Muertos is a 2-day celebration of life that takes place each year on November 1st and 2nd, when families reunite in a joyous and colorful remembrance of lost loved ones.

The ingredients for Sugar Skulls are very simple, yet the creation may pose a challenge to some, especially without the right meringue powder or if you live in a humid climate that would not allow for the ingredients to bond properly.   The decoration itself is left up to your imagination which is mainly sugar icing - in lots of colors.  Of course you can add on non-edible items like foil and sparkles to continue decorating the Sugar Skull.

While it may be tempting to eat the Sugar Skulls, experts state that eating a big hunk of granulated sugar and Royal Icing is not a tasty or particularly pleasant experience! Sugar skulls are more a folk art - serving as a dedication to a loved one.  You can join the celebration with these step-by-step instructions on how to make Sugar Skulls - which includes the recipe, important tips, and where to find the best ingredients. Sugar skulls can be a fun activity for the whole family, even for Halloween.

Related Weblinks:
Sugar Skull Instructions : https://mexicansugarskull.com/pages/sugar-skull-making-instructions
Sugar Skulls Video & Molds : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2dUbXiFydg
Sugar Skull Decorating Ideas: https://www.art-is-fun.com/how-to-decorate-sugar-skulls
The Meaning and Importance of Sugar Skulls: https://dayofthedead.holiday/sugar-skull/the-meaning-and-importance-of-sugar-skulls
The Day of the Dead : https://crystalskulls.com/day-of-the-dead.html

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Cinco de Mayo is not Skull Related

Cinco de Mayo and Día de los Muertos
are separate holidays.

"Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday in which individuals honor their dead loved ones by visiting their graves or having celebrations in their honor," writes Ellie Guzman on Medium. "For many it is deeply religious and is a source of comfort that those that have passed on are still loved and are with us spiritually."

Día de los Muertos is held on Nov. 1.

It is entirely different from Cinco de Mayo, which is a commemoration of General Ignacio Zaragoza's victory over much better equipped French military forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The foreign forces, sent by Napoleon III, were attempting to set up a French-controlled client state in Mexico. In part because the U.S. has a large Mexican-American population, and in part because the U.S. loves commercially lucrative holidays, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated to a much greater extent stateside than in the actual country of Mexico.

So yes, the skull makeup and costumes... are for an entirely different holiday than Cinco de Mayo.

Cinco de Mayo is also not the same thing as Mexican Independence Day, which is in September and happened more than 50 years before the Battle of Puebla.

You don't need to be knowledgeable about Mexican history to drink a few margaritas or hang out at a Mexican restaurant. But if you intend to celebrate Mexican and Mexican-American culture on May 5, you should probably be aware of the very general basics of the holiday you're celebrating. Wearing skull makeup on Cinco de Mayo would be like shooting off red, white and blue fireworks on Halloween.

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