Paper mache Dia de los Muertos figures at La Villita, San Antonio

In the Orthodox and Catholic church, November 1st and 2nd is traditionally noted as All Saints’ Day, and all Souls Day – days to specifically honor and celebrate those saints and martyrs, and then to remember all those who have passed on. In those countries considered historically Catholic, such rites and traditions of merged, or were grafted onto more ancient folk customs, practices and beliefs to produce a rich array of celebration - especially those which retained the belief that the dead could return and visit, on certain days.

In Mexico, Catholic tradition merged with Aztec custom symbolism; All Saints and All Souls became the Day of the Innocents and the Day of the Dead; absorbed or was absorbed by a traditional festival honoring the goddess Mictecacihuatl – the Queen of the Dead, or of the underworld. By the 19th century the Queen of the Dead emerged or was re-imagined as La Calavera Catrina, the elegant skull.

Metalwork Catrina, at La Gloria, San Antonio

It is believed that over the days of the dead, that they may come back for a visit; so it is only courteous and a fond gesture to put out refreshments; the deceased’s favorite food and drink. In Mexico and in the southern borderlands, the dead are honored with representations of skulls, and offerings of marigolds and special foods.

Obviously - Miller was a favorite beverage - in the Catholic Cemetary on Old Austin Road

Families visit the graveyard, and adorn the grave of a loved one with flowers, or build special private altars in their homes, called ofrendas; adorned with pictures of the deceased and significant memorabilia. It’s just one of those things. Around San Antonio, this stretches out Halloween to half of the first week of November.

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