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A couple of years ago, I watched the movie “Coco”, produced by Pixar Studios and released by Disney Pictures in 2017, after it was strongly suggested in the Spanish class I was attending then. I had heard of it before as an award winning cartoon and had thought to watch the movie with my children at the cinema but I missed the date. I watched the DVD of the film and I enjoyed it so much that I rewatched it with my children as well who also loved this sweet film. Although it is computer-animated, the story of the film is very touching and you feel like watching a real life movie. The visuals and musics of this colorful movie enchants you. You may think that Pixar and Disney do it, and yes they do, but there is more than that: that touch of real stories, traditions and a rooted culture. “Coco” was chosen Best Animated Film of 2017 in US and also won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature . It also won Best Animated Film at the BAFTA Awards.

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The film is about a 12-year-old boy named Miguel who dreams of becoming a musician, although his family strictly forbids it. Miguel’s great-great-grandfather had left his wife Imelda (Miguel’s great-great-grandmother) and her daughter Coco (Miguel’s grandmother) to pursue a career in music and had never returned. Miguel breaks into a musician’s mausoleum and takes his guitar to enter a talent show for Day of the Dead, after which he is accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead and meets his ancestors. The movie covers very well the traditions involved during the ‘Day of the Dead‘ (‘Día de Los Muertos‘ in Spanish) holiday in Mexico.

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I also suggest this movie to tell about death to your children, when you need to, as it touches upon the notion of death and life after death in an animated way. I also wanted to write this post thinking that many people all around the world lost their loved ones due to the pandemic and it might help some of t affected children. “Coco” makes you think about death and to remember your deceased loved ones without getting pessimistic but rather in a relaxed mood within the charm of the film.

Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated in Mexico as well as in Latin America and California, US, associated with the Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, and is held on November 1 and November 2. It is believed that Day of The Dead originated from the centuries old Aztec festivals celebrating death in honor of the goddess Mictecacihuatl known as the ‘Lady of The Dead‘.

During the Day of The Dead holiday in Mexico, families and friends gather together to pray and remember their ancestors and honour their dead loved ones in the belief that their souls return to earth on these days to be with them. On the first day (November 1) it is believed that spirits of children who have died return, which is traditionally referred to as ‘Día de Los Angelitos‘ (Day of the Little Angels). The second day is when the spirits of adults return. (journeymexico.com)

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There are many traditions involved during the celebration of Day of the Dead. People build private ‘altars‘ in their homes also called ‘ofrendas‘ (offerings) to remember and honor their deceased loved ones and welcome their spirits back to the world. It is believed that the souls of the departed return to earth to visit their loved ones during Day of the Dead and celebrate these days with them. They decorate the altars with candles, flowers and family photographs. Altars are loaded with offerings like water and favorite food, drinks and objects of the deceased relatives and small toys in case one of the sprits is a child. (nationalgeographic.com)

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People also visit cemeteries and clean and decorate the graves of their loved ones. They decorate the graves with candles and flowers and place ofrendas beside them with offerings of favorite food, drinks and objects of the deceased. Families may have a meal alongside the graves of their relatives while sharing stories about the loved ones they have lost and sometimes people spend all night beside the graves of their relatives.

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Celebratory meals are held within family or street parties with music and dance are held during Day of the Dead holiday. There are parades involving masks, puppets and costumes. Bakeries make a special type of bread called ‘pan de muerto’ (bread of the dead), a loaf of sweet bread coated in sugar and decorated with bones and skulls made from dough. Candies, chocolate and sweets shaped like skeletons or skulls are sold across the country. ‘Sugar skulls‘ (small skulls made of sugar) – are a symbol of Day of the Dead. (wikipedia, britannica, dayofthedead.holiday)

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Day of the Dead is celebrated with ‘calaveras‘ (skulls) and ‘calacas‘ (skeletons). They appear in many forms like sugar candies, parade masks, dolls or face painting. Calacas and calaveras are often seen in fancy clothes and entertaining expressions laughing at death and accepting it as a part of life. One of the most iconic symbols of Day of the Dead is ”La Catrina”, the skeleton dressed as a bourgeois lady wearing a fancy hat with feathers, also known as Mexico’s ‘Grand Dame of Death‘. La Catrina was created by the Mexican illustrator José Guadalupe Posada indicating that death has found even this rich, elegantly dressed woman. It is also believed that the image of Catrina was to ridicule people who imitated European style denying their indigenous origin and some Mexicans who had aspirations to look wealthy and aristocratic like the Europeans at that time. (themexicanlabyrinth.com, dayofthedead.holiday)

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Ofrendas, which I think the essence of Mexico’s Day of the Dead, are not only built in homes or cemeteries but are also placed in public places (public ofrendas), which are meant to honor important figures in Mexican history. Ofrendas are bright and colorful and often adorned in orange and purple- the holiday’s traditional colors. Orange and purple seem so harmonious, heartwarming and vivid which are also the dominant colors in the movie “Coco”, probably another reason I loved the movie so much. Pierced color papers (Mexican paper craft) named as ‘papel picado‘ and orange marigold flowers are basic components of the adornments either in the ofrendas and in the streets.

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Marigold flowers are seen everywhere in Mexico during the Day of the Dead holiday. Mexican marigold is the traditional flower and symbol of Day of the Dead, also called ‘flower of the dead’ (‘flor de muerto‘). It is believed that the bright vivid colors of the marigolds and their strong smell attract and guide the spirits of the dead to their ofrendas. I think these beautiful vivid flowers, which are eye-catching with their lovely colors, would attract the living as well.

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The basic traditions and the components of the Day of the Dead holiday are present in “Coco”. You see altars, ofrendas, calaveras, marigolds and more. The deceased relatives are honored and Miguel’s ancestors come back to earth to celebrate the holiday with their loved ones. It’s a nice film to capture the essence of the Day of the Dead, which Miguel’s grandmother explains to Miguel as follows:

“Día de Los Muertos is the one night of the year our ancestors can come visit us. We’ve put their photos on the ofrenda so their spirits can cross over. If we don’t put them up, they can’t come. We made all this food, set out the things they loved in life, mojo. All this work to bring the family together.” (from the movie ‘Coco’)

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There are nice anecdotes in “Coco” about remembering our deceased loved ones that makes you think how important it is to remember them. Like the following words told to Miguel by his great-great-grandfather at the Land of the Dead:

“So listen, Miguel, this place runs on memories. When you’re well remembered, people put up your photo and you get to cross the bridge and visit the living on Día de Los Muertos. … When there’s no one left in the living world who remembers you, you disappear from this world. We call it the final death.” (from the movie ‘Coco’)

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There are also hints about Mexican culture and very nice places to visit in Mexico in the film. Like the “cenotes“, which are natural pits full of sweet water that are found in many areas of Yucatán, México. In one of the scenes of ‘Coco’, Miguel is thrown into a cenote. It is stated that cenotes were very important for the Mayans not only as a water source but also sacred places of their rituals. (pixarcocomovie.tumblr.com). You can swim in some of the cenotes where it is allowed to, which one of my friends had told me as a wonderful experience to be lived.

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Another place to be visited in Mexico that appears in “Coco” as the ‘Land of the Dead’ (the beautiful colorful place where Miguel meets his dead relatives) is Guanajuato. Guanajuato is the historic town and the capital city of the State of Guanajuato in central Mexico with colonial architecture, cobbled streets and balconies on many buildings just like in the Land of the Dead. (theculturetrip.com). San Miguel de Allende, a colonial-era city known for its cultural festivals and the first town to declare independence from Spain during the Mexican War of Independence in the early 1800s, is also in Guanajuato. (contravener.com).

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Music and songs in the movie ‘Coco’ are also so good. The movie appeals to both your eyes and your ears. You hear music, songs or the mariachi (a traditional Mexican music present at important events and celebrations) throughout the movie. Mariachi performers seen in Coco are stated to be a common sight in Mexico’s plazas especially ‘The Plaza Garibaldi‘ in Mexico City where you can come across the serenading mariachis at all times. (theculturetrip.com)

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There is also a poetry tradition during the Day of the Dead. Short, humorous poems are written dedicated to the dead or living friends, family members, acquaintances or public figures to handle death with irony. These Day of the Dead poems are called ‘calaveras‘, ‘calaveritas‘ or ‘literary calaveras‘(‘las calaveras literarias‘). In public schools, students are encouraged or required to write them as part of the language class. (wikipedia, culturacolectiva.com). Below is an example of a literary Calavera:
“Oh how clumsy was my neighbor
Who did try so very hard,
She was doing me a favor
When Death dealt her grievous card.” (culturacolectiva.com)

The sense of humor the Mexicans are known for and their comfortable attitude towards death was also seen in the movie “Under the Volvano“, which I watched just before writing this post. I was astonished to find out that Malcolm Lowry spent ten years writing and revising the book Volcano, which the film is based upon, first published in 1947 (theguardian.com). I liked the film which has an interesting feel and which reveals various aspects of Mexican culture. The acting of Albert Finney and Jacqueline Bisset were also extraordinary. Released in 1984, the film takes place in Cuernavaca, Mexico on the Day of the Dead in 1938. I can’t also help mentioning here that the views of Popocatépetl volcano in the film, looming above the city as witnessing all the events, and its majestic peak -snowy, misty or naked- were enchanting.

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Different Celebrations in Different Towns of Mexico

Although there are common practices, different towns in Mexico celebrate the Day of the Dead in different ways. I want to mention some of them in this post.

San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato

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A special market is set up near the Plaza Civica where everyone shops for decorations related with Day of the Dead. The colorful town of San Miguel de Allende is known for its ‘Calaca Festival‘ (‘Festival La Calaca‘), which is one of the largest celebrations in Mexico with costumed parades and all-night parties in local bars and hotels. It is noted that the true spirit of the festival is seen in the ‘Catrina Parade’ in the Rancho Los Labradores neighborhood. (journeymexico.com, cntraveler.com)

Mexico City

A Mega Ofrenda (Great Altar) is built in the city’s central square (Zócalo), illuminated at night by candles. There are impressive parades and hundreds of Catrinas along the main street ‘Paseo de la Reforma‘. A spectacular opening parade is held to celebrate the start of the holiday which was launched in 2016 inspired by the Day of the Dead parade scene in the city in the James Bond film ‘Spectre’ which had been released in 2015. The parade has been very popular and a main tourist attraction ever since.

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The festival span several days and in recent years nearly an entire month. The main event is known as ‘Gran Desfile de Día de Muertos‘ (the Grand Day of the Dead Parade). To avoid the crowds and enjoy the terrace views of the parade, ‘Gran Hotel in Mexico City’ (‘Gran Hotel Ciudad de México‘), ‘St. Regis Mexico City‘ and ‘Presidente Intercontinental Mexico City‘ are among the hotels suggested. (stories.forbestravelguide.com).
Gran Hotel Ciudad de México, a historic hotel seen in the film ‘Spectre’ and whose art nouveau style building and antique elevator had also drawn my interest in the secenes of the film, looks very elegant. It is stated that Presidente Intercontinental Mexico City is the hotel Bond stayed while ‘Spectre’ was being shot.

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Colorful gondola-type boats called ‘trajineras’ that are adorned with flowers and lights float along the canals of Xochimilco, an UNESCO heritage site, heading to San Gregorio Atlapulco cemetery, where there are candlelit graveside vigils. (cntraveler.com). Waterways of Xochimilco are said to be haunted due to the legend of La Llorona (the Weeping Woman). The ghost of Llorona is said to roam waterfront areas mourning her drowned children and that her story is told to children so that they do not wander off after dark. (stories.forbestravelguide.com, wikipedia). In the movie ‘Coco’, the song of Llorona whose melody I like a lot is sung in a performance. I did not know though, that there existed a sad story and a legend behind this song.

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There is also Dolores Olmedo Museum in Xochimilco, once home to the businesswoman it is named for, to be noted to visit during Day of the Dead holiday. This museum is known for its excellent Día de Los Muertos offerings and hosts the greatest collection of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. (stories.forbestravelguide.com). I would definitely visit Dolores Olmedo Museum in a trip to Mexico City to see the works of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera also in memory of the marvelous film “Frida” that I cannot forget since I had watched many years ago.
(You may check here in Amazon for the film “Frida“, here for the biography and painting books about Frida Kahlo and here for jolly Frida Kahlo gifts. You may also check here for the book “Frida & Diego: Art, Love, Life” that I liked.

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Día de Los Muertos holiday is also a good time to visit ‘Monumental House Emilio El Indio Fernandez’ (Monumental Casa de Emilio El Indio Fernández), the former home of Mexican director and actor Emilio Fernández (Emilio “El Indio” Fernández Romo) – mentioned as a legend in Mexican cinema. You can see the elaborate altars dedicated to celebrities and Fernandez’s family members in this house in the Coyoacán borough of Mexico City, close to Xochimilco. (stories.forbestravelguide.com)

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During my research, I came across a boutique Mexican chocolate shop with a small cafe area in the historic center of Mexico City named “Que Bo!“. It is run by the master chocolatier JoseRa Castillo, winner of International Chocolate Rewards in 2018. The shop is known for its artisanal, handmade chocolates made with only Mexican ingredients. You can also pick up skull adorned pan de muerto, the bread of Day of the Dead, from this shop. The chocolates of Que Bo! look so special. I loved their colorful truffles which look so jolly and attractive, a box of which would be a wonderful gift either to yourselves or to your loved ones.

As a chocolate lover, what I felt like while writing this post was that; if only I could be teleported to Que Bo! to enjoy this lovely chocolate shop and to taste its jolly colorful truffles which look so attractive! One day hopefully … .
(I came across the book of the master chocolatier JoseRa Castillo titled “Postres con Cariño” (“Desserts with Love“) here in Amazon which may appeal to the Spanish speaking readers.)

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I also discovered “Dulcería De Celaya“, a Mexican candy shop opened in 1874 in the historic center of Mexico City, known for its traditional Mexican sweets. You can also find sugar skulls here during Day of the Dead as seen in the jolly photo below. (cntraveler.com)

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Sweets and traditional candies are important in the gastronomic culture of Mexico. In my search, I read that ‘flan‘, an egg-based dessert called as ‘crème caramel’ in its French version, is a popular Mexican dessert which is loved among Mexicans in all regions of the country. I was surprised of this for I had thought ‘flan’ or crème caramel is basically a French dessert and I have noticed that there are discussions upon the issue on the net. Although it is considered as a dessert, it is stated that Mexicans may eat it at all times a day, probably due to its being a low-sugar refreshing dessert.
(I liked the Mexican sweets books “My Sweet Mexico” written by a pastry chef here and “Mexican Desserts” here in Amazon.).

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Oaxaca

It is stated that Oaxacan culture is grounded by its indigenous roots especially seen in its local cuisine and textiles and that its Day of the Dead celebrations are unrivaled (cntraveler.com). Tourists can experience the cemetery vigils, elaborate altars and nighttime carnival-like parades (‘comparsas‘) in Oaxaca during the Day of the Dead. People paint their faces and dance in the streets to honor their deceased loved ones. The famous market in Ocotlán is also suggested. (thedailymeal.com)

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In August 2020 issue of ‘Sunday Times Travel‘ magazine, Oaxaca is suggested for the Day of the Dead celebrations. It is stated that Oaxaca’s beds fill up months, even years, ahead for the two weeks around the festival. It is suggested to go there a few days early to watch the colorful altars. It is told that you could walk through the Panthéon General Cemetery after dark to see locals “visiting graves, lighting candles, sipping Tequila and stumming guitars“. The ‘comparsas in the cobbled streets‘ are noted to be seen on November 1 and 2.

The comparsas in Oaxaca seem really very vivid, colorful and joyful. Hotel Los Amentes with its ‘rooftop terrace and airy minimalist bedrooms’ is suggested to escape the crowds. When the celebrations are over, Sierra Norte cloud forests are suggested, about two hours drive from town.

Epilogue

In 2008, UNESCO recognized the importance of Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) by adding the holiday to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

First time I heard of Day of the Dead, I had thought how strange it was to celebrate death which should be rather a thing to mourn. But now I think and realize that what Mexicans do during Day of The Dead is more important than just mourning and it should be appreciated. They don’t celebrate death but the lives of their deceased loved ones. Instead of just mourning for their deceased relatives, they honor them and celebrate the life their loved ones have once lived, and the memories they have with them. They remember them.

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Coco is a film about love, family, values and mostly remembering the loved ones. It also won the Academy Reward for ‘Best Original Song’ for the song “Remember Me” which we often hear in the film.

No doubt that Death is a concept difficult to accept. Mexicans are comfortable with this notion. They see it as a part of life. They are realistic and humorous about death, which is inevitable. They may feel sorrow and miss their loved ones, but instead of concentrating on their loss they choose to concentrate on the good memories and celebrate the life they lived with them. And this makes the Day of the Dead a holiday of celebrations rather than a sad period of time. I want to finish this post with the quote below by the Mexican Nobel-prize-winning poet Octavio Paz:

“The Mexican…is familiar with death.
[He] jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates it.
It is one of his favorite toys and his most steadfast love.” (Octavio Paz)

Notes: You may check here in Amazon for Day of the Dead decoration objects (figurines, skulls, colored paper, candles, etc.), here for masks and here for papel picados.

Check here for the film Coco and here for Coco toys, guitar, color books, bags and other items related with the movie.

You may also check here for the 4 film James Bond Collection including the film Spectre which I liked. Check here for the film “Frida” and here for the film “Under The Volcano“.

You may also check the other links within my post about Frida Kahlo and the links of Mexican sweet books and the book of the master chocolatier JoseRa Castillo.