It is time to accept that we are hopelessly multicultural. Too many powerful currents flow into the American ocean, each bringing its own flavors to the cosmic mix. Despite the hostility towards multiculturalism and the fear that accompanies it, we must be honest and admit that we enjoy drinking intoxicating brews from these rivers. These are surefire remedies for the boredom of sameness. A strong drink is coming: Los Días de los Muertos, The Days of the Dead, from November 1 to 8. This Mexican tradition is now anchored in American culture. Everywhere we look we see people in skeleton costumes, faces painted with the mask of death. The scenes are grotesque and, with Halloween, the celebration reminds us that life is short. Life ends. But death is eternal. Death never ends. And it’s only a matter of time when you and me and everyone else is dead. It’s good. We must extricate ourselves from the illusion that sensory pleasures are perpetual in the human world. This is the value of the humble Mexican custom, the honoring of the dead which has now become an intercultural experience for us.

An intercultural experience means that we travel to another culture. We don’t need to visit a foreign country. The difference will come to us, here in our own country. The only requirement is that we keep an open mind. If we can do this, we are treated to an often wonderful perspective, a glimpse into a different and fascinating reality, which puts our native culture in an objective light. Objectivity can occur when something causes us to question our deeply held beliefs and habits. Los Días de los Muertos will do this because these days contrast sharply with our ideas of the afterlife. We do not deny any accepted truth. Salvation and heaven are always present. But there is now another belief system in our consciousness. Why do we give ourselves permission to do this? Because it is very important to be able to hold opposing ideas, or rather old and new ideas, in our minds simultaneously. Doing this has the magical effect of immediately broadening our vision, exercising our critical thinking skills, alleviating bias and eliminating narrow-mindedness. It is absolutely necessary if we want to be well educated.

The Days of the Dead find their origins in the cosmology of ancient Mexican civilizations. Besides indigenous beliefs, there are Spanish Catholic beliefs associated with the celebration. The realities of Purgatory and Hell play a dominant role. If we do evil in life, we will be punished in Hell. If we repent, we still bear the mark of sin, but we are spared hellfire and sent to Purgatory for a period of purification before being admitted to Heaven. The idea that the souls in Purgatory communicate with the living on earth enters into the celebration of the Days of the Dead. Likewise, in the Aztec system, the souls of the dead are taken to Mictlan, an intermediate stage before their union with the Sun, the equivalent of Heaven. There is no permanent hell as in Catholic belief, but Mictlan remains a fearsome place, ruled by fearsome skeletal gods who are both living and dead, and who became the inspiration for the dancing skeletons of the famous artist José Guadalupe Posada, whose art adorns every Days of the Dead celebration. Posada’s characters are dead but nevertheless alive, representing the deep-rooted Mexican Indian truth that life and death are but two sides of the same coin. All souls go to Mictlan, except warriors who die in battle and mothers who die in childbirth. Their souls are immediately taken to the celestial realm. The Days of the Dead are also a time to remember and honor deceased ancestors and loved ones. Elaborate altars have become traditional in many homes, featuring portraits of the dearly departed and “ofrendas” or offerings of favorite food and drink to the deceased. The dead are allowed to return to earth during this period, to once again enjoy earthly pleasures. They are warmly welcomed, feel loved and honored. This contrasts with American Halloween where we fear the dead, ghosts accompanied by evil spirits, witches and goblins. The reassuring tradition of “ofrendas” is now widely accepted in the United States, a dramatic sign of our multicultural reality.

Joe Barrera, Ph.D., is the former director of the Ethnic Studies Program at UCCS. He teaches Mexican-United States Border Studies and American Military History. He is a veteran of the Vietnam War.

Joe Barrera, Ph.D., is the former director of the Ethnic Studies Program at UCCS. He teaches Mexican-United States Border Studies and American Military History. He is a veteran of the Vietnam War.