The traditional Anniversary of the Dead It is celebrated every year on November 2, the day after All Hallows. In the past, families would look for flowers such as gladioli, chrysanthemums and carnations, there would be reminders of prayer and visits to the cemetery, as well as going to mass in the afternoon. “Holy music” was playing on the radio and the women were dressed in black. When the children asked why everything had to be done, the answer was, mysterious and a little vague in the children’s ears: “It’s the Day of the Dead.”
Actually, the “Commemoratio Omnium Fidelium Defunctorum” is done every November 2nd. This is a very important anniversary for the Catholic Church, which is included among its solemnities, one of the most important celebrations after the liturgical reform of the Roman rite initiated by the Second Vatican Council. Previously, if November 2 fell on a Sunday, All Souls Day was moved to the following day, because Sunday still took precedence.
Many, many years ago, In Argentina that day was free, but the civil-military dictatorship removed it from the calendar, that is. because they were afraid of the crowds of people. And in the cemeteries, in those times, great crowds gathered for the date.
As you can easily imagine from the name, the Remembrance of the Dead, or Day of the Deadit serves precisely as a commemoration of the deceased, not just our lost loved ones, family members or friends. On this day, that It is a day of celebration, even though it looks sad, We pray for the souls of each one of them. In fact it is a solemnity of Byzantine origin, which has its roots in the truth of the faith contained in the Apostolic Faith and, in particular, in the Communion of Saints. He points out that Christians should not be considered as isolated entities but as an integral part of the mystical body of Jesus Christ resurrected in the forgiveness of sins. This allows access, or not, to the Kingdom of Heaven and the Resurrection of the Flesh, so at the end of time all the deceased will be resurrected and souls and bodies will be reunited. In fact, the last part of the Creed says: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, in the Holy Catholic Church, in the communion of saints, in the forgiveness of sins, in the resurrection of the body and in eternal life. Amen”.
But the basis of the Commemoration of the Dead is also the hope and the completely human desire to one day be able to accept one’s loved ones again. For those who believe, death is a passagethe beginning of waiting with love and faith that will lead us to find ourselves in the final encounter with those we love. The liturgical colors that characterize this celebration are purple and black, although white is also used. Since the commemoration of the dead requires prayerful preparation, beginning on October 24, the Novena for the Dead begins to be recited. It is hoped that the deceased will come to visit their surviving relatives.
However, it is also interesting to note how the Day of the Dead acquired different characteristics over the centuries, often mixing with pagan traditions and folklore from the different countries where the Catholic Faith reached. There are very different traditions around the world, such as the pictorial Day of the Dead typical of Mexican culturewhich requires that graves be decorated with flowers and that gifts, food, toys, even alcohol be placed on them, while an altar of the dead is placed in every home and it is expected that the deceased will come to visit their surviving relatives. The last days of October and the first of November have always been considered auspicious for the deceased and are therefore destined to be celebrated in their honour. The reasons for this choice arise from the popular belief and myth, now almost forgotten, that the universal flood broke at this time of the year.
However, according to the Eastern Romans, in Byzantium it was necessary to commemorate the deceased between the end of January and the beginning of February, the Saturday before the sixtieth Sunday, two weeks before the beginning of Lent, about sixty days before Easter. . St. Augustine had already encouraged the faithful to pray for the deceased not only on the anniversary of his death, but also on other dedicated days. In the year 998, the abbot St. Odilon Clunach, defender of the Cluniac reform at the top of the Benedictine order, he established, among various innovations, that after Vespers on November 1 the bells of Cluny Abbey should ring in honor of the deceased. The next day he celebrated mass offering the Eucharist “pro requie omnium defunctorum”, or for the souls of the deceased. Since then, the anniversary of the deceased has been fixed on 2 November.
Young Mexicans put on makeup for the Day of the Dead Photo: ARTURO PÉREZ ALFONSO /CUARTOSCURO.COMMany Italian traditions are connected to the commemoration of the dead. In Sicily the celebration of the dead has its origin in the pre-Christian rituals and the cult of the Roman Laresthe protective spirits of the ancestors who watched over them and protected the genes and the family. On the eve of the Day of the Dead, the deceased goes through the houses of relatives and leaves gifts for the children and typical sweets for the deceased: Martorana fruits, made with almond paste, sugar dolls, cookies called “bones of the deceased “. In the field ofIn Puglia, as in Mexico, it is believed that the deceased returns on All Saints’ Eve to visit family and friends. That is why the table left for them is set with bread, water and wine. And in some areas, pumpkins are carved, like a Halloween tradition, and children receive candy and gifts left by deceased relatives in stockings specially hung in the house. The table set for the deceased is also found in certain areas of Trentino, Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta. In the province of Cremona, beds are prepared for the deceased.
left with water, while in Friuli they are left with water, bread and a lighted candle. In Tuscany there is the tradition of “Ben d’i morti”: Those who have lost a family member give food to those who need it most. The youngest children wear sfilza, a necklace of chestnuts and boiled apples. But in ancient times the mixture of beans, chestnuts and dried figs given to children who went from door to door on the night of November 1 was good for the dead. Let us remember that children dressed as ghosts, today as it were, represent the souls of the deceased who ask for gifts and good memories. In Sardinia children walk around with their faces smeared with coal asking for sweets and nuts and reciting the formula “Seus benius po is animitheddas” (“we came for souls”), or “mi das fait po praxeri is animitheddas?” (“Will you give me something for the sake of souls?”)
In some regions there is a tradition of going to the cemetery, not only to bring chrysanthemums and pray, but also to eat them, just like in Mexico. In particular, they eat broad beans, which have always been considered a sacred food and therefore very suitable for funeral ceremonies and feasts. Also In Liguria, dried broad beans, called bacilli, are prepared together with balletti (boiled chestnuts). There are also many lady-shaped sweets, such as stinchetti dei morti in Umbria.
Day of the Dead Parade in Mexico PHOTO: GRACIELA LÓPEZ /CUARTOSCURO.COMIn addition to Italian customs and traditions, there are many fascinating Day of the Dead traditions around the world. In addition to the aforementioned Mexican Day of the Dead, so characteristic that UNESCO included it as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, there is the horror. New Orleans Croft Carnivalthe most haunted city in America, thanks to its ancient traditions of witchcraft and voodoo. Celtic Samhain, which was changed to Halloween and exported from here to America, is still very much felt in Ireland. Large bonfires are lit to ward off bad luck and spirits, people dress up as monsters, they carve pumpkins (they used to be turnips) and they honor the dead, but also the spirits. Also in Galicia, in Spain, because it is a Celtic region, Samhain is celebrated and the Day of the Dead is related to this celebration.
Here I open a parenthesis, Samhain’s celebration common among all Celtic communities it is much older than Christianity. Unfortunately, hundreds of Catholic priests and Reformed priests have been heard in the days before who strongly insist that it is a “satanic celebration”. It would be very interesting, instead of criticizing, that you start to study a little and read about the ancient Celtic rituals on these dates and their re-signification by Christianity. End of brackets.
The celebrations that take place in the East are very different, for example the “Boon Para Wate” in Thailand, between June and July, where there is a parade for three days with lit torches, music and dance, but there are also moments prayer and meditation. In China, Qingming, “Tomb Cleaning Day”is celebrated from April 4 to 6 when the whole family gathers to clean the graves of their ancestors, eating only cold foods because burning fires is prohibited. In Guatemala, the saints and the dead are celebrated by flying giant kites, with the Giant Kite Festival.
In Argentina, over the years, the theme of the Day of the Dead celebration has changed. Few people go to city cemeteries todaywhich was looted and destroyed for the most part, due to the negligence of many city mayors. Although it was also in the city of Buenos Aires that the Chacarita cemetery suffered this type of desecration and theft. In the provinces this tradition is kept. An interesting thing happened here, there was almost always a cemetery for the rich and another for the poor or, if the city was small, a section for the rich and another for the poor. The singular thing was how all social classes remembered the deceased: and the rich dressed in black, with large bouquets of flowers and candles burning in their vaults; The poor were dressed in colors and there was great celebration, singing and dancing. Two different concepts, in the case of some death there was mourning and pain due to separation; For others, the deceased should be remembered by celebrating, since they “were already with Diosito in heaven and we will meet again to enjoy and dance for eternity”.
today, Cremation has made cemeteries more unoccupied and forgotten. Whatever the case, on this date we remember those who came before us. But it is also a reminder of the temporary nature of life and that we will, at some point, have a place in that place.
Stival in Santiago Sacatepéquez, where colorful kites symbolize the connection between the living and the deceased. The idea is that the kites help lift the spirits of the departed closer to heaven. This vibrant festival takes place on November 1st and draws people together in a celebration of life and remembrance.
In Japan, the Obon Festival, typically celebrated in mid-August, honors the spirits of ancestors. Families visit graves, clean them, and offer food and light lanterns to guide the spirits back home. The festival often includes traditional dances known as Bon Odori, where communities come together to remember their loved ones in a joyful manner.
Each of these traditions reflects a unique cultural perspective on death and remembrance, showcasing the variety of ways in which different societies cope with loss and celebrate the lives of those who have passed on. From the colorful altars of Mexico to the quiet reverence of the Chinese Qingming Festival, these customs highlight the universal desire to honor and connect with those who have gone before us, reinforcing the idea that love and memory transcend even death.
