¡Feliz Día de los Muertos!
photo: Terry Flores
I have always been inspired by the quote, “We are our ancestor’s wildest dreams”. My bigger hope is that my life is worthy of my ancestors’ deepest sacrifices. Our hallways are lined with old family photos to remind me of all the days and dreams that came before me. Maybe this is why I‘ve always been so inspired by Day of the Dead – Día De Los Muertos – the vibrant, Mexican holiday linked to Catholic celebrations of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. Held on November 1st and 2nd, the multi-day festivities bring family and friends together to pray for and treasure loved ones who have passed. For me, it blends cultural storytelling and creative family folklore at its best.
“You are the fairytale told by your ancestors.” - Toba Beta
photo: Joackim Weiler
I was first introduced to Día De Los Muertos before it gained widespread popularity by my good friend Terry Flores who is from Guatemala. Fiery, feisty, and fast-talking, I love her energy, boldness, and kindness – AND she reminds me of a modern-day Frida Kahlo! Terry has taught me how to salsa dance, make killer salsa, and live life more colorfully and joyfully. As a designer for the American Greetings Diversity + Inclusion team, Terry leads the AG Hispanic Leadership Network developing corporate multicultural programming as well as summer internships, summer camps and outreach for Hispanic youth. I’ve worked with Terry on product development innovation launches and printmaking workshops through her partnership with non-profit Esperenza, Inc. As Ohio’s only nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and advancement of Hispanic educational achievement through scholarships, Esperanza (meaning “hope”) began in the early ‘80s as a community project designed to improve opportunities for Hispanic youth. I feel so lucky to have Terry in my life. She shares her heritage and culture freely, and she always inspires me to look at the world in new ways and to give back.
Diversity + Inclusion Designer, Hispanic Resource Network Leader Terry Flores
An ancient ritual from the Aztecs more than 3,000 years ago commemorating death and celebrating life, the Aztecs believed those left behind should not grieve deaths, but instead look forward to welcoming the return of their spirits to the land of the living once a year on Día De Los Muertos. Día de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels) starts the holiday at midnight on Nov 1st, where the spirits of all deceased children are believed to be reunited with their families for 24 hours. At midnight the following day (November 2nd), the celebrations shift to honor the lives of the departed adult ancestors for Día de los Difuntos (Spirits of the Adults).
photo: Vlad Tchompalov
Parades and street parties filled with dancers, puppets, theater troupes, bands and crowds of painted smiling calavera faces (skeletons) line the city streets, with skulls often drawn with a grin, greeting death with joy and laughter. The grand finale and public celebration of Día de los Muertos (Spirits of all the Dead) begins at 12 noon, with cemetery visits as families decorate the grave sites with marigold flowers, gifts, and the names of the departed lovingly written on decorative handmade skulls from either sugar (called alfeñiques) or clay.
I especially love how Guatemalans celebrate their own version of Día De Los Muertos with larger-than-life dancing kite celebrations during La Feria de Barriletes Gigantes (The Festival of Giant Kites). The spectacular Guatemalan kites, all handmade with bamboo frames, represent the merging of the underworld and the land of the living. The ancient custom traces back to indigenous cultures, considering it disrespectful to grieve the dead who were kept alive in loving memory and spirit. Enormous hand-painted kites, often from 40 to 65 feet across, soar over open fields and cemeteries as beacons for lost spirits to find their living relatives.
Designed as a unique octagon, the kite shape represents the Mayan belief honoring four directions: north, south, east, and west, with four additional points to form a corona, the crown of the sun. Fringed paper fixed to four of the eight sides re-creates the sound of rustling winds believed to keep evil spirits at bay. As the tradition evolved, Guatemalans would attach messages to the tail or strings of the kites for departed loved ones to read on their cross-over journey.
“I love connecting cultural dots, mapping and integrating old and new customs back to today.
Isn’t it amazing how cultural identity and customs are born and blended, especially in mainstream pop culture and brand culture?”
My friend Terry and I talked about how as young brown girls, we both had brunette Skipper Barbie dolls. (We didn’t relate to the tall, blonde Barbie at all…) Terry would make clothes for her “Guatemalan” Skipper from leftover fabric while at her father’s tailor shop in Guatemala City just like I would make clothes from the scraps of fabric found on the kitchen floor for my “Filipino” Skipper as my mom sewed matching dresses for herself, my sister, and me. Look how far we’ve come with Mattel's ornately decorated Día De Los Muertos Barbie dolls designed by LA-Based toy creator Javier Meabe!
Photo: Mattel
“As a Mexican American Designer, it was important to me to use my creative voice to design a doll that celebrates the bright colors and vivid textures of my culture, as well as have the traditions I grew up with represented and celebrated in Barbie.”
Photo: Alfreda Estrella
“For this doll, I was inspired by the color gold seen throughout Mexican culture, jewelry, buildings, statues and artwork and highlighted it throughout the design...”
"I also know how important representation is in our community, and I wanted little girls to see themselves through this doll. “
“Barbie has always been a doll that celebrates women and dreams, and inspires girls…”
It’s so inspiring to see new multicultural creativity and beauty standards expanding for the next generation of Other Brown Girls. With Frida Kahlo black braids, skeleton-inspired dress details, monarch butterfly and marigold accents, the limited edition Día De Los Muertos Barbie dolls have sold out for the second year in a row.
“I am beyond grateful that Barbie is now celebrating traditions and cultures that mean so much to so many people…" - Javier Meabe
Terry would invite me to the parades on Detroit Shoreway to see the Día De Los Muertos celebrations. I adore all the artistry and traditions of Day of the Dead. From the papel picado, delicately laser-cut tissue paper banners representing wind and the fragility of life; to lit candles representing ancient fires guiding spirits back to visit the land of the living; to Monarch butterflies migrating to Mexico each fall, believed to be the spirits of the ancestors coming back to visit – what’s not to love?!
artwork: Terry Flores
artwork: Terry Flores
I am especially drawn to the shrines honoring the deceased, known as ofrendas, decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers and photos of the beloved and departed. I was moved by Terry’s own Día De Los Muertos altar artwork honoring her mom, Margarita, given as a gift to comfort her father, Rafael. The offerings are designed to encourage visits from family spirits, inviting departed souls to hear their prayers and join in the celebrations.
The marigold derived its name from “Mary’s Gold” when early Christians placed flowers instead of coins on Mary’s altar as an offering. Representing the sun, symbolizing brightness and positive energy, marigolds are very popular in Hindu weddings, with garlands of cascading marigold blooms in ceremonies and festivals throughout India. Marigolds are associated with Lord Vishnu (the preserver and protector of the universe whose role is to return to the earth in troubled times and restore the balance of good and evil) and Goddess Lakshmi (the goddess of light, beauty, good fortune and wealth. Lakshmi means “good luck”.) Both are celebrated as the ideal couple in Hindu mythology. Native to Mexico and Central America, flor de muerto (Spanish for flower of the dead) marigolds symbolize the beauty and fragility of life. The vibrant blooms, colors and strong scent are believed to be the pathways that guide spirits back to their ofrendas.
For me, Día De Los Muertos is a touching example of how we can shift energy from grief to joy by simply changing the stories we tell ourselves.
A rare holiday for cherishing both death and life – where death is not seen as the end – where mourning is exchanged for celebration.
Which friends and cultural traditions inspire you and your family? How can you trace back traditions to other cultures and heritages where multicultural, multi-generational storytelling sparks new conversations and creativity?
