In the globally connected world we live in, there are more and more different cultural references leaking into the fashion world. This is a beautiful thing, and leads to some amazing styles- but sometimes it's nice to know a bit more about the traditions behind the fashion. While Halloween is the big celebration in the Fall here in the united States, around the world it's a bit different. Sure, plenty of other countries have adopted Halloween celebrations, but days to honor the deceased are far more prevalent. In some places, it's known as All Saint's Day, Finados, or Undas, but one has outstripped them all in terms of popularity and identifiable icons- Dia de los Muertos, the mexican Day of the Dead.

The History of Dia de los Muertos

Rituals celebrating the deceased in Mexico go back at least 2500 years, though it initially took place in the early summer in the Aztec civilization. Those early rites took place over the course of an entire month, and honored both the deceased and a goddess known as Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead. 

When the Spanish arrived in the 1600s, they brought with them Christianity, and began to convert the indigenous peoples to the new religious beliefs. In order to make the native people more compliant, local practices and holidays were merged with the Christian ones; sometimes they were moved, as was the observation of the deceased. It was changed to be later in the year, coinciding with All Saint's and All Soul's day. Many of the traditional iconography was kept, though, which is why the skull is so identifiable with the Dia de los Muertos.

Sugar Skull

The image of a brightly decorated sugar skull has become the de facto icon of Dia de los Muertos, though skulls in general have been used in the celebration since the Aztec days. In the 1910's, Jose Guadalupe Posada, a noted illustrator, drew an image poking fun at the upper classes of Mexico by drawing Calavera de la Catrina. This drawing of a skeleton dressed in an expensive hat has become iconic in the Day of the Dead celebrations, and has led to a resurgence of the Lady of the Dead- the Calavera Catrina, or Elegant Skull. Often depicted as a woman dressed in traditional long gowns and flowers, she is now found frequently on the altars to the deceased.