Part 2/7:
The roots of Dia de Muertos go back to pre-Colombian civilizations, primarily the Aztecs. For the Aztecs, death was not a subject of fear but rather a natural part of life to be accepted and even celebrated. Poet Nezahualcóyotl echoed this sentiment in a passage that expresses the transient nature of life: “Only for an instant do we endure.” Mourning a loved one traditionally lasted four years, during which a family would remember their fallen with both sadness and celebration.
The festival remembers the dead through feasting and offerings, as families would set up altars, known as ofrendas, adorned with marigold flowers, tamales, and of course, pan de muerto. This bread, symbolically representing the deceased, is a common offering placed on the graves of loved ones or the ofrendas.