Magic, Memory and Art in Symbols of the Day of the Dead

Last year at this time, I wrote a blog on the history and culture behind the Méxican Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations on November 1-2. My position on this topic is unchanged: I believe that any celebration is made deeper and more fulfilling by understanding and appreciating its roots. For this reason, I am expanding on last year's blog and looking at some of the symbols of the Day of the Dead. In celebrating this special occassion, the hope and belief is that loved ones who have passed away will come back for a quick visit and most of the icons surrounding this celebration are an effort to entice them to do just that.

An Ofrenda

Most Americans outside of the Méxican community have probably not seen an ofrenda before, but they are an essential part of traditional Day of the Dead celebrations. These displays are set up to honor and remember loved ones who have passed. Ofrendas can vary wildly - they can be over-the-top big and elaborate or can take up a small corner in a family home, but the purpose of most of the items displayed remain constant (here are some really cool ones). Within these key elements are items that have become recognizable to the population at large. There are other elements that are regionally specific and many, like the puppy, have deep roots in Mesoamerica and are of special importance to indigenous communities. The mystically magical themes of Day of the Dead are all tied to those ancient people of the region. Modern México brings the Art to the party – as visual enticement to the spirits and because everything is just more fun when it comes colorfully decorated.

Gravesite  Gathering

Every true ofrenda includes a nod to the four elements of water, fire, earth and wind. These items are often are laid out in a cross to show the cardinal directions and guide the spirits (this cross can also be interpreted as one of the many uniquely Méxican Catholic-Pagan mash-ups).

Water is left out for the spirits to quench their thirst after their long journey from the Afterlife. Liquor or beer may also show up, if that was the target spirit’s preferred thirst-quencher.

Candles are the fire – they represent hope and faith but are also signal fires guiding spirits on their way. The number of candles can show how many souls are being welcomed and the colors of the candles have meanings as well. Candles also appear outside the ofrenda; they can be seen marking paths to homes or in graveyards to form a spirit runway for them to see the route back home.

Pan de Muerto

Earth is represented by the earthly need and pleasure of food. The food being offered can be the favorites of a beloved ancestor (perhaps candy for a lost child) or regionally traditional dishes. The spirits cannot eat the food, of course, but it is believed that they can enjoy the sight and smell of it and remember its taste fondly. Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead) is ubiquitous on ofrendas and has become popular all over North America. These sweetish, semi-spherical rolls or loaves are typically decorated with skulls, bones and the like. Want to create some traditional Day of the Dead food? Look here.

Papel Picado

Colorful Papel Picado (Pecked Paper) represents wind. You have probably seen this in a Méxican restaurant or two, but is much more than a pretty banner. Although these banners are used in other celebrations, for the Day of the Dead the colors blowing in the wind stand for important cultural values: orange for mourning, purple for Catholicism, red for warriors and women who die in childbirth, green for young people, white for little children, yellow for the elderly and black for death or the underworld. Other times, the colors are simply the green, white and red of the Méxican flag. As the Papel Picados flutter in the wind, they send welcomes, hopes, prayers and pride out into the universe.

Items such as portraits and cups are commonly seen on ofrendas throughout the region. Others are seldom seen outside of certain parts of México. Here is an interesting list of some of those. But, there are two symbols whose reach extends beyond the ofrendas, into the graveyards and streets and across North America and beyond – Marigold flowers and Sugar Skulls:

Marigold Harvest

Marigolds (or the Cempasúchil in México) are also known as Flor de los Muertos (Flower of the Dead). These vibrantly colored, fragrant flowers have been cherished in México since ancient times. The Aztecs attributed both mystical and medicinal qualities to this flower and used them in celebrations of the dead way back then. When the Spaniards arrived in the 1500s, they sent marigold seeds back to Europe with other appropriated goods. Like many of the other plants they sent from México, marigolds were a hit and are now a part of cultures far removed from this hemisphere (go here for a short read on this and some lovely marigold field pictures). The appeal of marigolds has not abated and today their strong scent and bright colors are seen as a beacon to guide spirits home and, because they bloom at this time of year, they are readily available for every seasonal decoration. These traditional blooms have spawned a million flower ideas, including the ever-popular paper flowers.

La Muerta

Sugar Skulls are little confections that are traditional gifts for children (living and dead) and their bright, beautiful and whimsical decorations are meant to appeal to the playful nature of children. Like marigolds, they are on ofrendas and everywhere else. Sugar Skulls, along with La Catrina and her over-sized hat, have spawned endless variations. Here in Tucson, we even have an indoor football team named the Tucson Sugar Skulls. Full Disclosure: I’m a sucker for a good skeleton design.If you want to try your hand in making some,  here is a video.

Méxicans are not the only people to believe that the divide between this world and the next thins out in the next few days, Celtic peoples thought so 2,000 years ago. Modern Halloween and the Catholic observance of All Soul’s Day both have roots in these ancient beliefs. So, take some time over this weekend to remember those you’ve loved and lost. You never know who may be waiting on the other side to come visit.

Submitted by Pam

Earth Day and The Sonoran Institute

For this year’s Earth Day, ARBICO is donating to The Sonoran Institute. This is a non-profit located here in Tucson, with a reach that encompasses large areas of the West and into Mexico. Their focus is on protecting and restoring waterways and other natural resources while building and nurturing the communities that depend on them. We feel this mission fits well with how we see ourselves here at ARBICO – we have our roots  in the Sonoran desert but our environmental concerns and responsibilities branch out much further.

Their work on restoring the Colorado River estuary perfectly exemplifies what they do. It’s a cross-border initiative whose goal is to revive the natural runoff of the river and recreate the delta’s ecosystem, including those towns that dried up along with the river. Learn more here.

 I encourage everyone to find a way, great or small, to support these environmental warriors.

Submitted by Pam

Hemp - From Favored Flora to Fake News and Fabricated Hate

The Mayflower

Hemp arrived on this continent with the first ships to troll its shores. When Columbus and his crew set sail in 1492, it was in ships fitted with sails and ropes made from hemp. If you are one of the many people that believe the Vikings got here first, there is evidence that they also used hemp for cloth and cordage. The plant was introduced into Mexico by Pedro Cuadrado, a Spanish Conquistador shortly after the conquest in the early 1500s. He brought the seeds to begin a business venture that was relatively short-lived, but more on that later.

Hemp is considered to be one of the oldest domesticated crop in the world. There is evidence that it has been used since 8,000 BCE. By the time the pilgrims arrived on their hemp-outfitted Mayflower in 1620 (see a fun video here), the plant was an unquestioned and important staple in their world. From the beginning of the colonies, the English decreed that the colonists grow hemp. The reason was simple: the British Navy was busy empire-building and there was a constant need for rigging and sails, a need that they were having a hard time keeping up with. The colonists never quite managed to supply the hoped-for hemp bounty, however, as they soon found that they needed all they could grow. They not only made cloth and ropes, they extracted the oil from seeds and burned it in lamps and bartered with all parts of the plant.

Early colonists harvesting hemp

Meanwhile, in Jamestown, Virginia, colonists had been struggling to survive since 1607. By 1619, they felt established enough to set down some laws. Included in these was the mandate that all settlers grow hemp, “For hemp also, both English and Indian, and for English flax and aniseeds, we do require and enjoin all householders of this colony, that have any of those seeds, to make trial thereof the next season.” This was America’s first, but by no means last, cannabis-related legislation.

Betsy Ross

Throughout most of the next 300 years, hemp maintained its position as a widely-used and valuable commodity. It was legal tender in the colonies of Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland and, for more than 150 years, taxes could be paid in hemp. Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and John Adams all grew industrial hemp. It is believed that Betsy Ross made the first U.S. flag with hemp cloth and scholars know that Benjamin Franklin used hemp string when he did his famous lightning experiment.

Hemp was held in high esteem in our country until the beginning of the 20th century, when a whispering campaign was begun against it. To explain, let’s go back to Pedro Cuadrado: his hemp seeds had created a lucrative business growing industrial hemp, but by 1550 the Spanish government restricted his endeavor. Apparently, the native people of the region had discovered a more eye-opening use for it than making rope and this disturbed the authorities (a theme that continues to plague the hemp plant). Despite the restrictions, cannabis from the hemp plant maintained its following in Mexico. When refugees began arriving as a result of the Mexican Revolution (1910-20), they brought their herb with them and introduced it into the American zeitgeist.

William Randolph Hearst

With the onset of the Great Depression and its massive job losses, resentment towards Mexican migrant workers grew in many areas. They were seen as taking jobs that American workers badly needed (sound familiar?). This is when the incredibly rich and powerful William Randolph Hearst entered the picture. He was unabashed in his disdain for Mexicans, once saying, “I really don’t see what is to prevent us from owning all Mexico and running it to suit ourselves.” Hearst used his papers to stoke the anti-Mexican fervor and to connect it to hemp by portraying them as drug-crazed from cannabis. Despite being a complete racist, his motivation for targeting hemp was probably to protect his timber holdings and eliminate hemp paper, which he was successful at doing.

The final nail in the hemp coffin was the appointment of Harry Anslinger in 1930 as the nation’s first Drug Czar. By most accounts, he was as reprehensible a racist as Hearst and a rabid evangelical to boot. He was all in on Prohibition and, when that was repealed he turned his to attention to other stimulants. His rhetoric was all about the dangers of minorities on drugs and it played well into the Depression narrative. Unfortunately, Anslinger stayed in the U.S. Treasury Department Bureau of Narcotics into the 1960’s and was able to firmly nail down anti-cannabis/hemp laws.

The pendulum is definitely swinging back in hemp’s favor these days. In time, the criminalization of this useful plant will undoubtedly be seen as what it was: fear-mongering in order to satisfy special interests. If we could only get rid of all the sensationalized reporting and fabricated hate we would all be better off.

Submitted by Pam