Día de los Muertos

photo:trekearth

Día de los Muertos takes place today and continues on in to tomorrow. 

I provided a link to some information because to be honest, I have never taken part in the celebration of death or even know that much about it. The only thing I've experienced is the decorated bread — called pan de muerto — that my family and I share on either of the days in the celebration. 

photo:thehungrytxn

It is mainly a Mexican event, but according to the link it is celebrated in other countries other Latin American countries, and even in Europe.  The link also says that it is a growing tradition in the U.S. as well since there are large numbers of Mexican immigrants living here. 

However, I wonder if the majority those celebrations take place in California, where the Mexican population and culture is vastly present. Other than California, I can't see Día de los Muertos taking place anywhere else in the way that would in Mexico. And the reason for that may be something that Raul Dorantes, the Chicago writer, spoke to my class about a couple of weeks ago. 

Dorantes said that one of the reasons we may not celebrate Día de los Muertos in the U.S. is because we don't bury our dead here. He spoke about this specifically about Mexican immigrants, but I think it rings true to most Mexican families. Whenever someone dies, we send the body back to the homeland to rest in eternity. There are no graves to visit here, which is a part of the celebration. 

photo: diariodn

So celebrating Día de los Muertos in the U.S. I guess doesn't do much as it would in Mexico. I think it's just one of those things we leave behind because there isn't much room for it here. From what I've read and from what my family has told me, the celebration is a community-based event. Nearly all of Mexico City takes part in it, according to my family. Clearly, with the U.S. being a different country with loads of other cultures present, Día de los Muertos cannot be the same as it is in Mexico.

Here is a link to some great photos and information about Día de los Muertos.