The Day of the Dead
at Our School in Angangueo

In November, when the monarchs are returning to their sanctuaries, the people of Mexico are celebrating Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). This is the ofrenda (shrine) at our school in Angangueo.

Our pre-Hispanic ancestors believed, and we continue to believe, that the souls of our dead relatives come to stay overnight with the whole family on the night of the 2nd of November. Our ancestors who settled in the state of Michoacán believed that the monarch butterflies arriving were the souls of our relatives arriving to their hometowns.

The Day of the Dead is a big festival where both the living and the dead are the main actors in the two dimensions, life and death.

More than a mere celebration, the Day of the Dead is a dialogue with the "other life," with those who have gone before us. It is an act of communication with our dead relatives who are our roots, our identity, and our point of equilibrium between earth and the cosmos. We feel we must not let the souls of our dead fade away.

Look closely. Here is the significance of the main objects placed in an ofrenda (shrine):

Water - Source of life. The souls of the dead are supposed to relieve their thirst after a long journey back from their short visit to their homes on Earth.

Salt - To purify their souls and bodies.

Candles - They mean "light," hope, and faith.

Cigarettes - Smoking was a very serious ritual and the smoke meant a connection between Earth and Sky.

Food and Belongings- All of the dishes of food, fruits, and drinks, as well as personal objects belonging to them, are placed at the ofrenda.

Photos - Photos give relevance and intensity to the remembrance of our dead.

Marigold Flowers - These flowers are specially chosen to render honor to Death. The soul of our dead will leave happy because flowers will add happiness to their ofrendas.

At the top of this ofrenda is the photograph of Toño. Toño was a 8-10 year-old student at this school who died suddenly two years ago. His classmates dedicated this ofrenda especially in his memory.