Dia de los Muertos is no Halloween

It seems amazing that October is upon us. Here in Oaxaca, we join the rest of Mexico in preparing for one of the greatest festivals of the year, Dia de los Muertos, The Day of the Dead.

Technically, it is not a day, but several states are straddling the turn from October to November. Don’t assume that this means it is the same as Halloween, which will see millions of American milk teeth succumb to the curse of trick-or-treating and some very bizarre Christian rituals across Europe!

All Hallows Eve has a connection to Mexico’s Hispanic history because the Spanish moved the date from early summer to the end of October. But Dia de los Muertos is distinctly indigenous and was celebrated long before the conquistadors conquered. It may even go back to before the Aztecs invaded Oaxaca or even before the Zapotec and Mixtecs developed the valley about 3000 years ago.

You would be wrong to think that dancing around graveyards calling up the souls of our ancestors is in any way morbid or miserable. We love our skeletons and use them to tease the living with their clattering dances. If you come to Oaxaca to share the celebrations, you’ll find people have built altars of their ancestors in hotels, restaurants, businesses, churches, and even in their homes. They will be brightly decorated with garlands of marigolds or even paths of golden flowers to guide the spirits. The altars include candles and incense, fruit and nuts, chocolate and beer, and mezcal offerings.

People will process through the streets in costume. In the markets of Oaxaca Juarez city, huge displays of eggy pan muerto, the bread of the dead decorated with skulls, and sesame candy skulls will be displayed. You will be able to sip your Eléctrico mezcal from skull-shaped copitas. And if you visit someone’s home, ensure you bring bread, chocolate, beer, and a bottle of Eléctrico.

Dia de los Muertos is a celebration of the whole cycle of life. And Eléctrico Mezcal is the same. To many Oaxacans, mezcal is the water of life, and it is often called that, just as it is in the original names of whiskey and aquavit. Eléctrico Mezcal is a celebration of the land and life of the valley of San Baltazar Guelavila, Oaxaca, Mexico and we will be raising many a copita to our ancestors this Dia de los Muertos in thanks for the delicious legacy they gave us.