Google Doodle on Wednesday celebrated Mexico’s Día de los Muertos, also known as the Day of the Dead, observed in Mexico from November 1 to November 2nd.

Doodle featured a hand-crafted paper automaton, this holiday provides families with an opportunity to pay their respects to departed relatives and loved ones, the description noted.

Día de los Muertos has indigenous roots dating back more than 3,000 years to pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations like the Aztec, Mayan, and Nahua.

It was believed that after death, a person had to complete nine challenges to reach the final resting place of Chicunamictlán. Families would place altares (offerings) of food, water, tools, and other symbolic items to aid their loved ones’ journeys in the afterlife.

On this annual occasion, it is widely believed that the boundary separating the realm of the living from that of the spirits fades away, enabling the souls of the deceased to reunite with their families.

In celebration, numerous Mexicans adorn their faces with Calaveras (skulls). Women don vibrant dresses or blouses and create handmade flower crowns, while men opt for suits and hats as part of their attire.

The Family and Community Engagement Department coordinated to create an ofrenda or altar with images of family and friends who have died. Traditionally, the ofrenda includes the main elements — earth, wind, water, and fire. The ofrendas also have offerings like the deceased’s favorite foods, beverages, and memorabilia. They also provided Mexican pastries and coffee for the staff to enjoy. Staff who want to participate are encouraged to bring photos to the Family and Community Engagement Office by Wednesday, November 1. FACE will create an ofrenda to showcase on Thursday, November 2.

Origins of Day of the Dead

The idea of celebrating loved ones who have passed comes from the traditions of the native peoples, such as the Aztecs, Mayans, Olmecs, and Toltecs, of what is now Mexico and Central America. Traditions among different groups varied, but all shared the concept of an afterlife. They believed that life and death were part of nature’s cycle.

When Spanish conquistadors arrived in Mexico in the 16th century, they brought their faith, including All Saints Day and All Souls Day celebrations. Day of the Dead celebrations developed from intermingling indigenous and Spanish priests’ traditions.

Day of the Dead Today

Today, November 1, is dedicated to honoring the children who have died and is often called Día de los angelitos or Day of the Little Angels. November 2 is reserved to honor the adults who have passed.

The 1990s and 2000s

In the 1990s, “Día de los Muertos is not Mexican Halloween” became a political statement. The North American Free Trade Agreement, signed in 1994, flooded Mexico with U.S. consumer goods, media and popular culture. Halloween’s importation was seen by some Mexicans as a symbol of U.S. “cultural imperialism,” the process by which the United States uses culture to maintain political and economic domination over Mexico.

But by the early 2000s, Mexican, U.S. and British anthropologists reported that Halloween was already fusing with Día de los Muertos in fascinating ways. Halloween candy, costumes and ornaments appeared in stores and street markets, where it was displayed next to Day of the Dead material. Jack-o-lantern and spider-web decorations adorned ofrendas, the traditional altars erected for the dead. The streets were increasingly filled with trick-or-treating children dressed as witches, vampires and monsters. Bars and nightclues in southern Mexico hosted Halloween and Day of the Dead costume parties for adults.

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Some Mexicans denounced Halloween as “an invasion.” Some referred to Halloween as “cultural pollution.”

Such fears led the United Nations in 2003 to officially designate Día de los Muertos a form of “intangible cultural heritage,” a classification reserved for cultural traditions like rituals, oral traditions and performing arts that are endangered by globalization or lack of support. This gave the United Nations authority to work with the Mexican government to “protect and conserve” Day of the Dead, which would presumably safeguard the holiday from influences like Halloween. But it was too late.
Hollywood’s influence

Today, Halloween haunts Día de Los Muertos in Mexico like never before. Children trick or treat in costume for a full week during Day of the Dead season. They beg for candy from shops and restaurants by crying “Queremos Halloween!” – literally meaning, “We want Halloween!” On Nov. 2 at the country’s largest cemetery, Panteón de Dolores, you’ll find graveyard ofrendas decorated with cobwebs, vampires, witches and pumpkins.

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