The Evolution Of Día De Los Muertos
1A
NPR
4.3 • 4.5K Ratings
🗓️ 1 November 2023
⏱️ 34 minutes
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Summary
Skeletons and marigolds, like the vivid orange macabre of jack-o-lanterns, are synonymous with the tradition. So are the food and treats prepared for loved ones who have passed away.
While both traditions evolved from a complicated intertwining of pagan and Christian beliefs and traditions, the push to keep Día de los Muertos a separate tradition from Halloween and faithful to its indigenous roots is as complex as the history of the holiday itself.
Introduced in the U.S. as part of the Chicano Movement in the 1960s and '70s, Día de los Muertos celebrations have become a part of fall festivities in towns and cities around the country.
We take a closer look at the history and evolution of Día de los Muertos stateside.
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Transcript
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| 0:17.7 | It's easy to confuse Diadela Smertos with Halloween, visually the two holidays share quite |
| 0:33.2 | a bit. |
| 0:34.9 | When it is late in October, many fields in Mexico are filled with yellow flowers, wild |
| 0:40.9 | marigold, the Zemposuchil. |
| 0:44.1 | In Mexico, both the season and the flower are symbols of death. |
| 0:49.0 | But the attributes of death, which the Zemposuchil represents, are for most Mexicans neither |
| 0:54.1 | morbid nor sentimental. |
| 0:56.7 | In Mexico, an intimate acceptance of death extends far back into pre-Hispanic times. |
| 1:02.6 | That clip is from the 1957 Charles and Ray Eames short film Day of the Dad. |
| 1:08.0 | For many Americans, it was their introduction to the Mexican version of the tradition. |
| 1:13.4 | Diadela Smertos, at its core, is a day of remembrance for loved ones who have died. |
| 1:19.2 | During the early days of November, it's believed those loved ones returned to visit the |
| 1:23.7 | offrendas or offerings on an altar where they're honored. |
| 1:27.3 | In the U.S., many traced the first public awareness of the tradition to an art collective |
| 1:31.6 | in Los Angeles. |
| 1:33.2 | And so they identified a celebration that was not about war's won or lost, like Fourth |
| 1:41.2 | of July, 16th of September, or 15th of May. |
| 1:44.8 | But it was about specifically the culture and more importantly about recognizing and remembering |
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