Día de Los Muertos in the Midst of a Pandemic

El Día de Los Muertos, otherwise known as the Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday that lasts from November 2 to November 3. This holiday encompasses both Mexican culture and Catholic beliefs. This year the usual celebration was vastly different than in previous years.  

Many cemeteries in Mexico were closed during Día de Los Muertos to prevent people from gathering, in response to pandemic regulations. The usual celebrations that take place during this time of the year were canceled to prevent people from gathering and potentially leading to another outbreak of COVID-19.  The current Mexican President, Andrés Manuel Lopéz Obrador, declared three days of national mourning during this holiday to pay homage to the almost 99,000 Mexicans that died of COVID-19.  

Dr. Maria del Rosario Martínez made an altar for her late husband, Dr. Jose Luis Linares, who passed away due to COVID-19 on May 25. The altar was adorned with pictures of her husband, food, flowers, and little skeletons. This same type of decoration is used in cemeteries, where each grave is vibrantly decorated.   

“According to the traditions and beliefs, he is going to come here, accompany us, and he is going to be happy that I am thinking of him in this moment,” said Dr. Martínez. 

AISG students sympathized with Dr. Martínez’s situation as well as the many others who weren’t able to celebrate this tradition as they normally would. Freshman Jojo H. remarked on how tragic this must be for so many people who celebrate this holiday to reminiscence about the past and the memories they shared with their deceased relatives. “It’s an every year tradition, and then you can’t go this year, and it’s very unfortunate.” 

Senior Maya T. shared a similar opinion and stated that many people must feel that they are not able to continue this tradition or honor their deceased relatives in the way that they previously did.  

Despite the restriction of outside gatherings during Día de los Muertos, some events were held online this year. These events include San Juan del Rio’s annual weeping competition. This year, the event was held virtually, accepting submissions of people crying about their deceased loved ones, to pick who was the best mourner. The event gave people the chance to reflect on the events and deaths that had occurred this past year. Many people wept and mourned about family members that had died of COVID-19.  

Many people were left with the alternative to celebrate Día de Los Muertos at home in small gatherings or through virtual means. However, many acknowledge that the holiday was simply not the same due to the closing of cemeteries and the restriction of public gatherings and usual festivities.