Oct 28

Oct 28 Day of the Dead

Día de los Angelitos and Día de Los Muertos, or ‘Day of the Little Angels’ and ‘Day of the Dead’ respectively, are celebrated November 1st and 2nd. It’s a wonderful time to reconnect with your Latino family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers, and also a fun time to visit and support the Latino businesses in your community. In the slideshow below are some of my favorite Pittsburgh-based Mexican businesses. Plus, beneath the slide show is a collection of gorgeous works by Latino artists that provide more context into this festive holiday-time.

PANADERIA JAZMIN

Owners: Jose Flores y Jazmin Hernandez

300 Beverly Road | Pittsburgh (Mt. Lebanon), PA 15216

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TOTOPO COCINA & CANTINA

Owner: Juan Grimaldo

660 Washington Road | Mt. Lebanon, PA 15228

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LAS PALMAS CARNICERIA Y SUPERMERCADO

Owners: Gabriel Berumen Cruz y Familia

700 Brookline Boulevard | Pittsburgh, PA 15226

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LINZY'S MACETAS

Owner: Melissa Berumen

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CINCO DE MAYO SALSAS

Owners: Sherri Kumpf Vizzuett & Family

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MEXICO LINDO MERCADO Y GALERIA DE ARTESANIAS

Owner: Lisa DiGioia-Nutini

Día de Los Muertos is an artist’s dream with all of the vibrant and abundant colors, folk crafts, puppetry, flowers, food, portraits, altars, and dances of light. It is a rich and meaningful family and cultural holiday steeped with centuries of tradition—the remembrance of beloved ancestors, children, and pets, the celebration of the cycle of life and death and their impermanence, and the love, loyalty, and strength of the community that accompanies us on our journey.

Below is a collection of works, by Latino artists and designers, that are particularly relevant to Día de los Muertos. I am enjoying learning more about this beautiful and festive holiday, and invite you to learn along with me by observing and reflecting on the symbols found in their creations:

Cempasuchitl or marigolds, are used in displays and garlands to decorate the shrines, altars, and graves of the dead. It is believed that their beautiful, bright colors and scent will guide the dead’s souls to visit with their families. Flowers with their delicate petals and short bloom life symbolize the fragility and importance of life.

The timing of the Monarch butterflies’ migration to Mexico sinks up with the Day of the Dead celebration. Their arrival is culturally understood as the souls of the departed returning to their loved ones. Butterflies are also a symbol of the cycle of life and death, as they transform from egg to larvae (caterpillar) to pupa (chrysalis/cocoon) to butterfly.

Calaveras or skulls and calacas or skeletons, are a reminder of mortality. No one escapes death. A sugar skull is highly decorated and traditionally, though now not necessarily the case, edible and has the name of the departed written on the skull. They are used as sweet ofrendas or offerings to the deceased.

Pan de Muerto or ‘bread of the dead’, is round to symbolize the circle of life and death, crossed with “bones” to signify our inevitable end, and flavored with orange blossom essence to conjure the sweet memories of the departed.

The Alebrijes or fantastical depictions of animals, usually in the form of brightly colored, elaborately painted sculptures, papier-mâché, or copal wood carvings, are spirit guides. The jaguar is considered courageous and strong, and especially powerful because of its ability to see at night; it was believed that its night vision enabled it to move between worlds. In Mayan mythology, the jaguar was God of the Night and the Ruler of the Underworld.