Is the legislature's recent flurry of healthcare activity the result of genuine care for the residents of the Commonwealth, or are lawmakers caught up with questions of mortality because today is the Day of the Dead? Whatever the case, Bostonist urges you not to put away your skeleton costume just yet, as there are some goings on about town to mark the traditional Mexican holiday.
While we could simply direct you to the Wikipedia page on the Day of the Dead, Bostonist likes to keep it local and authentic, so we e-mailed our Mexican blogger friend Alejandra for the low-down on local celebrations. She surpassed our expectations by not only telling us what's happening in the Hub, but providing a nice summary of the holiday's origins and how it's celebrated (which, by the way, includes making fun of politicians, one of Bostonist's favorite pastimes). Rather than paraphrase, we offer you her excellent rundown (translated from the Spanish) after the jump.
Alejandra writes:
The Day of the Dead is a very traditional and very popular celebration in Mexico (and one of my favorites). Its roots are pre-Hispanic but it has evolved over the years.The fundamental ingredients of the cult of the dead are offers (or altars) to the dead and paths that people make with marigold petals and lights to help the dead find their way. Marigold (cempazuchitl) is the flower of the dead, with origins in Aztec legends. People frequently make offers in their houses, kids do it at school, artists do installations in museums and galleries, and the government funds mega-offers in public places like the Zócalo (the main public plaza) in Mexico City.
The artistic aspect of the holiday forms a fundamental part of popular Mexican art, from such simple things as the shredded colored paper used to adorn the offers to Jose Guadalupe Posada's famous skull illustrations (from the period around the Mexican revolution) There is also a literary aspect: The "calaveritas" (little skulls) are verses that make fun of public figures, focusing on details about their personalities and depicting them as having died - a somewhat morbid tradition. All the newspapers publish calaveritas every year, and you can imagine that politicians make easy prey.
As far as culinary aspects go, I can think of two: 1) little skulls made of white sugar, which people give to one another as gifts, usually decorated with colored paper and sugar and a sign on the forehead bearing the name of the recipient. 2) Bread of the Dead, a round loaf decorated with skeletal figures.
I know of two Day of the Dead events in Boston: One is sponsored by the Mexican Consulate, at the Peabody Museum. The other is at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center.
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