Color Conversations with Cristina

Color does more than convey a mood or set off a room. Color is a language that continually evolves with the cultures that contribute the shades and tones of meaning each of us sees. Artist and Color Consultant, Cristina Acosta, shares her insights and expertise about the colors in your life – your home – your business.

The Colors of Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead)

Posted on | October 28, 2009 | 10 Comments

Cross of marigold petals adorns this grave in the cemetery in the town of Ocotpec, Mexico. I took this photo with the scent of copal incense threading through the air in smokey streaks mixing with the sounds of mariachi musicians. Yellow flowers are for the mature souls of adults.

Cross of marigold petals adorns this grave in the cemetery in the town of Ocotopec, Mexico. I took this photo with the scent of copal incense threading through the air in smokey streaks mixing with the sounds of mariachi musicians. Yellow flowers are for the mature souls of adults.

The mystery of life and death and spirit, the reality of change and the beauty of everything is a defining aspect of Mexican culture. Throughout Mexico and most anywhere a significant number of Mexican-Americans live, altars adorn public & private spaces. This spirituality with ancient roots is most visible during the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival  November 1st and 2nd.

Dia de los Muertos  (the Day of the Dead) is celebrated in Mexico and by Mexican Americans living in the U.S. As a holy day it is connected to the Catholic holy day All Saints’ Day, but is actually much older and pre-dates the Aztec. The celebration is spread through various other countries in Central and South America.

I saw this woman in the market in Cuernavaca. She carries the flowers for Dia de los Muertos altars. White is for the souls of deceased children.

I saw this woman in the market in Cuernavaca. She carries the flowers for Dia de los Muertos altars. White is for the souls of deceased children.

Through the month of October, people prepare for Dia de los Muertos by preparing altars (ofrendas) to honor the dead. Depending upon the family or community traditions, altars can be elaborate rooms with effigies of the deceased surrounded by beauty, food and candles, or simple altars with a picture and a few items.

Brilliant colors and stark value contrasts between dark and light with the addition of warm earthen tones make up the complex palette of colors associated the Mexican Celebration of Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead). Not only are these colors seen among the flowers and decorations that make up the various ofrendas  (altars), foods and decor that are part of the celebration, the colors metaphorically and symbolically mirror the mystical underpinnings of the Dia de los Muertos celebration.

Because the veil between the living and the spirit world thins at this time of year, the colors of the Hispanic celebration of the Day of the Dead are both strong in hue and in contrast. Bridging those

Images of bones emerge from the warm skintone browns of this traditional Day of the Dead bread proffered by a street vendor in Ocotopec. The bread is sweet without being too rich.

Images of bones emerge from the warm skintone browns of this traditional Day of the Dead bread proffered by a street vendor in Ocotopec. Called Pan de Muerte (Bread of the Dead), the bread is sweet without being overwhelmingly rich.

strong colors and values is the warm brown color of pan de muerte, the traditional bread of Dia de los Muertos. Motifs of crossed bones emerge from small loaves the warm color of brown skin. What a beautiful metaphor and visual symbol of the ephemeral quality of life expressed through color meanings and symbology.

I didn’t grow up with the actual Dia de los Muertos celebration. Instead, when I was under the age of 10 my family celebrated a unique combination of All Saints Day and Halloween with a piñata (a Mexican tradition of a paper effigy of an animal or object that is stuffed with candy and then destroyed by children to release the treats). It was the type of culturally morphed celebration that fit into the surrounding neighborhood of Palos Verdes, California during the 60′s and 70′s.

Since then I’ve explored how the holiday is celebrated in Mexico and incorporated some of those ideas into my personal life. Being that I love making retablos (altars) with images of the divine feminine, such as the Guadalupe and Conquistadora, and have those retablos all over my house, decorating an altar for the season comes naturally.

For me personally, the time of Dia de los Muertos begins in October and continues to about mid-November. This is a beautiful season and  a time that I  specifically ask my ancestors and deceased friends and relatives to visit me with their gifts of wisdom and love. I usually get some sort of revelation or enriching experience during this time that especially helps me for the ensuing year.

Here are some guidelines to the symbolism of the items on a Dia de los Muertos ofrenda (altar):

Composition of a Dia de los Muertos Ofrenda (altar of offerings):

  • Water – Source of Life
  • Salt – Purification

    An effigy of the deceased (in photo) made of loofas draped in her clothing is the centerpiece of this huge ofrenda (altar) taking up an entire bedroom. I visited this home in Ocotopec and the family allowed this photo. Note the beauty and care put into every aspect of the decorations and offerings.

    An effigy of the deceased (in photo) made of loofas draped in her clothing is the centerpiece of this huge ofrenda (altar) taking up an entire bedroom. I visited this home in Ocotopec and the family allowed this photo. Note the beauty and care put into every aspect of the decorations and offerings.

  • Candle or light – Eternal love
  • Copal or incense Offering to the gods -  Transmits prayers
  • Flowers — the yellow flowers represent the sun, wealth and light to help souls find their way. The white flowers represent purity and often represent children.
  • Mat, bed, table — a symbolic place of rest for souls. This is often the surface on which the altar rests.
  • Toys — for young souls.
  • Bread, tamales — sustenance
  • The neck and the canes (bones) in the form of a wheel — this is the symbol on the Pan de Muerto, the traditional bread for Dia de los Muertos
  • Items that pleased the deceased person and usually a photo, sometimes an effigy draped in
    Candy skulls made of sugar or chocolate are traditional food items for the Dia de los Muertos altar. I took this photo detail of the food offering at a public ofrenda (altar) in Tpotzlan, Mexico.

    Candy skulls made of sugar or chocolate are traditional food items for the Dia de los Muertos altar. I took this photo detail of the food offering at a public ofrenda (altar) in Tpotzlan, Mexico.

    the deceased’s clothing.

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Category: Color and Culture, Color Knowledge, Psychology of Color
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Comments

10 Responses to “The Colors of Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead)”

  1. Gina Longoria
    October 30th, 2009 @ 11:24 am

    This is a wonderful article!

  2. Kara aka Mother Henna
    October 31st, 2009 @ 5:08 am

    Love love love your list of items for the ofrenda! We are celebrating the colors of Dia de los Muertos over on my blog with a fest today, too. Feel free to come over and add a link to this entry to the Mister Linky there… our artists would love and appreciate seeing your information, I think!
    Miracles to you…
    k-

    http://motherhenna.blogspot.com/2009/10/welcome-to-day-of-dead-blog-fest.html

  3. Maritza
    November 6th, 2009 @ 10:19 am

    Love your websit..I just had a problem with a teacher that my son decorated a shoe box with black in the out side and red..since it was a last minute project we worked in what i had..so the black we put in the outside for me it represents the respect of that person the red we used was in the inside of the box,which for it represents not only my grandfathers favorite color but the blood of Christ that shed for us when He died.The teacher had a the nerve to tell my son that it was gang related colors: I am furious!…what kind of teachings are these..since my son is not involved in anything but family activies and knows from right and wrong.I hope u can help me find meanings of colors that are used in these events.

  4. Megan Thompson
    May 5th, 2010 @ 11:32 pm

    If the Los Suns were wearing their uniforms to celebrate Cinco De Mayo, I would be all for it. :

  5. emily
    October 13th, 2010 @ 7:20 am

    so what are the colors?????????????????

  6. bailey campbell
    October 24th, 2010 @ 6:02 pm

    what is the color associated with this holiday and what does it mean???

  7. Cristina
    October 26th, 2010 @ 7:23 pm

    Marigolds, a yellow gold color is the most definitive of the holiday.

  8. Sheila Beers
    October 31st, 2010 @ 7:56 pm

    My son and I used this article for his lesson on “Day of the Dead” for his Spanish I class, and the article is most helpful as it contains information his textbook omitted.

    It is too bad the teacher mentioned in Maritza’s post thought the activities and colors were “gang related.” It seems so many authority figures are obsessed with “gangs” and they fail to realize that “gangs” have used about every symbol and color imaginable — so, of course, many symbols may be the same that “gangs” have used. Such teachers and authority figures need to “get over it” and realize there are other ideas and symbols other than “gang” symbols; they also need to get a life!

  9. icis
    December 11th, 2010 @ 3:36 pm

    i have to do a poster on what day of the dead is about and it is due monday and i couldn’t find the colors any wear untill i found this website. thank you so much i have really found this artical very interesting and helpful. (for any one whos looking for the colors there under the pictures)

  10. weathervanes
    September 29th, 2011 @ 8:34 pm

    Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your article seem to be running off the screen in Firefox. I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The design and style look great though! Hope you get the issue solved soon. Many thanks

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