Día de los Muertos

Remembering and conviviendo con nuestros antepasados

By Yanely Rivas

November 1, 2022

When I was a child, I didn't celebrate Día de los Muertos. I think part of this disconnection happened because we were so far away from the burial sites of our beloved difuntos in Michoacan, Mexico—land traditionally stewarded by the Purépecha.As I've gotten older I've moved closer to tradition, especially after visiting my ancestral homelands during Día de los Muertos. As cycles continue and the years accumulate, dear elders have transitioned into the spirit world. I've been told that the veil between the material and spirit world is thinning this time of year, and our antepasados are preparing to embark on their journey to visit us. Many cultures indigenous to this continent have their unique ways of preparing for their loves ones' return. My family and I prepare an ofrenda, offering things that brought our ancestors joy when they were earthside.Making an ofrenda for my ancestors fills my heart. I love hearing stories about them and of course, consentir a mis antepasados! To know our ancestors is to know ourselves.

 

Yanely Rivas is a working-class Xicana, cultural worker, and visual storyteller with ancestral roots among the mountains of Michoacán, Mexico. She is a 2023 Oregon Humanities Community Storytelling Fellow. She currently calls Salem home.

Tags

Death and Dying, Family, Faith and Spirituality, Indigenous

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