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Classmate writing

“Day of the Dead” observances on November 1st and 2nd, are important cerebrations for families and community in Oaxaca. November 1st is for the spirits of children, and November 2nd is for the souls of adults returning to earth. It is believed that there is a fine line that separates the world of the living from the supernatural world of the dead. This fine line dissolves on the Day of the Dead, and grants a temporary reunion of the dead with the living. This occurrence becomes an occasion for joy and cerebration because the welcomed reunion is an “opportunity for those souls serving penance to gather with their living relatives” (Moro, 354), to visit loved ones, to be entertained by music, to eat their favorite food that have been specially prepared for them.

Beliefs about death and afterlife are demonstrated by care and respect shown to the dead, and the intimate relationship that is perceived to exist between the living and the dead in Oaxacan culture. To welcome the dead, the home altars are set up and maintained for the two days of Los Muertos with offerings of the dead’s favorite food, drink, fruits, and sweets. The food are painstakingly and meticulously prepared to create aroma and flavor that please the souls. The graves of family members in the local cemeteries are cleaned and decorated with flowers, candles, and offerings of food and drinks. Families visit the graves during Los Muertos and have a collective meal with the dead before their return to the supernatural realm. To the Oaxacans, life is uncertain and impermanent, while death is certain, inevitable and unavoidable. Life is full of suffering and struggling, but death is regarded as a step into another, and better life. Therefore, people should not be afraid of death, because “death is an inevitable, transcendent force, part of a natural, organic exchange; it is an equalizer, a leveler, of imbalances and inequities” (Moro, 356). The transformation of the deceased as a former member of the community who crossed the doorstep to the realm of the dead reveals a profound belief in the afterlife and the interaction of both worlds. People continue relating to the dead, since they still exist in the supernatural world. People prepare themselves for death by behaving morally, and practicing ethical ideals of generosity and reciprocity. The exchange of and sharing their food with everyone, strengthen the reciprocal and collective social relationships they have with their living relatives, friends, neighbors and the community. The observances affirm community solidarity and a set of social values, beliefs and practices, based on fairness, trust, respect, reciprocity, and inclusiveness. These values are extended to the dead, since the members of the community continue relating to them in their daily life. The beliefs about death and afterlife establish and reinforce an ethical worldview of the Oaxacans.

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