The holiday season is amongst us, but not in its usual splendor. The pandemic has brought many changes, losses, and therefore adaptations as it changes our lives and the way we interact with the world. We have lost hugs and handshakes, dinners and gatherings, and the simply ability to be close to those who we love the most. However, despite how much we have lost, the need for traditions and the celebration of culture has not died down. Although humans are creatures of habit, arguably what has lead to our success as a species is our ability to adapt, and in this unprecedented situation, we have done just that.
The Day of the Dead is an intrinsic part of Mexican culture, as it is a way to connect to the souls who have moved on from this earth, a way to talk to them once again, feel their light close despite their apparent absence. Normally, the holiday would consist of family members going to the deceased’s grave, setting up an altar with beautiful pictures, memories, delicious food and gifts called ofrendas, and most identifiably the bright orange flower which has become a staple of this celebration, marigolds. Their strong scent and vibrant colors are said to be powerful enough to bring spirits back to earth so that they can mingle with their loved ones once again. Hundreds of people gather in graveyards sharing their common love for life and appreciation to those who are gone. Music commanders the wind while the melody of sweet guitars taking over every cell of ones body; people sing and dance and cry and love, that is the beauty of this celebration, but times have changed, and in this case tradition too must adapt. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has recently published a list of recommendations for the holidays which showcases the different levels of infection risk in relation to some of the traditions, not only of the Day of the Dead but also Halloween and Thanksgiving. The article states that one of the most effective ways of celebrating the holiday with low risk involves “Playing music in your home that your deceased loved ones enjoyed” and “making and decorating masks or making an altar for the deceased [at home]”, but arguably the newest innovation to the current problem is the surge of online altars and virtual get-together celebrations. Devoted Day of the Dead celebrators have started creating social media pages and websites for their deceased including pictures of them, the things that they loved, and the equivalent virtual decorations of actual ofrendas. This is a wonderful demonstration of solidarity and appreciation of the true meaning of Día de los Muertos because it is a time to show love and respect for those who have passed no matter how the ceremony itself is executed. Estella Sanchez, Sacramento’s local arts and culture center’s founder said, “We know that doing it digitally is not replacing what our long-standing traditions have been. But we are looking for ways to continue to engage a younger generation about learning and going deeper into the understanding of Día de los Muertos.” By going virtual, not only are people preventing the spread of COVID-19, but it also makes this age-old tradition more accessible and intriguing to younger generations in an attempt to keep the wonderful celebration alive. The Day of the Dead is a day to remember the grief of passing and reflecting upon changes, being grateful for the strength that suffering has caused. This year especially Día de los Muertos is extremely important as over 87,000 people in Mexico have died because of COVID-19. It is wonderful to see how people are finding creative and respectful ways to commemorate the lives of their loved ones.
While it is expected that some in person events are going to take place, many of the venues like that of the Tie-in exhibit in Yakima. Normally this celebration would encompass a large gathering in which people would set up their altars and ofrendas as a community in order to “Commemorate those [deceased] individuals — in the traditional sense (of Día de los Muertos), for them to come back and to visit us and never be forgotten and always be remembered,” as stated by Rosie Saldaña, program associate and volunteer coordinator for Tieton Arts & Humanities. There would be live performances and arts and crafts activities in the venue. However, this year Tieton is taking social distancing guidelines extremely seriously and have set up an attendance restriction while also removing the live music and crafts. In addition, instead of the normal communal altar, the celebration will mimic an exhibition or gallery which showcases the altars. A small number of people will be allowed to view them through windows outside or through their website. In an attempt to discourage large gatherings, they are also ushering people to create altars in their own homes and send pictures so that they can be exhibited alongside the other ofrendas. Normally there would be around 30 different altars, but this year they are decreasing the number to around 10 to 15 in-person ofrendas so that those who do go and see them can truly appreciate their individual beauty. The way Yakima is adapting to the COVID-19 situation is not the norm, though, as Mexican Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell informs that most cemeteries will remain closed as he fears they would “become areas of high risk for contagion.”
Despite the difficulties involved in adapting a historic tradition to unprecedented events, this openness to change has proven the resilience of our communities and their willingness to embrace adventure while making the best out of a treacherous situation. It truly brings hope to observe people fighting to continue the traditions that mean the most to them, giving a taste of normality and peace. This all shows us that hardships come and go, but there is always a way to continue building community, creating connections, and overall being grateful for the people we love and that love us back.
Thank you to @karuros_marquez_arce for bringing the issue of Día de los Muertos during COVID-19 to our attention. For more examples of online altars go check out:
Written By: Carolina Mejia Rodriguez
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