Day of the Dead Deals With Death Where We Don't

Death is a largely avoided topic in the United States. Growing up, it was also largely avoided in my family. My parents shunned away from those discussions. We talked about everything else: politics, sex, religion, money. But we never talked about death, what happens when someone dies, or whether we should talk about those people after they've left us. I'm not sure if it was because they just didn't know how to explain the delicate subject to a 13-year-old, or they hadn't formulated the answers to those questions themselves.

My first exposure to the Mexican holiday El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) came recently, while attending a gallery exhibit at Park University jointly sponsored by Kansas City's Mattie Rhodes Art Center. The exhibit, called "Ofrendas: Offerings to Loved Ones Lost," showcased pieces of art exemplifying the meaning behind the holiday, which is to remember departed loved ones and celebrate in their honor. I had always known the intention of the holiday, being fortunate to attend a high school with a diverse student body, but I had never really seen the artwork and experienced its beauty.

Typical Hollywood presentations of El Dia de los Muertos usually show the holiday in a negative light: dancers around a fire late at night, bowing to skulls and chanting in a strange language. The popular movie series including "Night of the Living Dead" and "Day of the Dead" undoubtedly add to this misconception. The movies showcase living zombies attempting to eat the flesh of their prey, usually comprised of the last five or so living humans in the world. It's no wonder Americans are usually pretty uneducated about the holiday.

It is believed that spirits of the dead visit their loved ones on Oct. 31 (Halloween) and leave on Nov. 2. Though the holiday is Mexican, it has its roots as far back as Mesopotamian civilizations such as the Aztecs. Those left behind create traditional ofrendas, or altars, intended to remember the dead. These altars often include photos of those passed and skulls inscribed with the name. These skulls can be considered morbid by Americans because of the preconceived notion of death being attached.

These altars are covered in "papel picado," or brightly colored tissue paper. Three different colors come with different meanings: purple for pain, white for hope and pink for celebration. Looking at these ofrendas, I can begin to grasp the meaning behind the holiday, and perhaps why my family was hesitant to discuss death and the departed. The holiday is steeped in tradition, as are holidays like Christmas and Easter. Without a comparable American holiday used for the same purpose, to honor the dead, Americans don't have a reason to discuss these issues. We don't see the hope and the celebration behind death; we only see the pain. Who wants to talk about something when it will only bring you pain?

As the demographics of this country continue to rapidly change and grow, it's about time we take a hint from our neighbors down South. Only with discussion of these painful topics will Americans like me learn to deal with the pain of losing someone you love. By celebrating the life of a loved one rather than continuing to mourn the death, we can start to see the necessity of creating such artwork that seeks to exemplify the life led by the departed. And if it promotes a little more cultural understanding between the inhabitants of this country, I'm all the more for it.