Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is upon us. Every year descendants from Hispanic/Latin roots honor their cultural heritage and influences that have formed the diverse Spanish speaking communities we live among today.
Poets, Musicians, and general artists alike can be attributed to the influences and identity of Hispanic Heritage – such as; Frida Kahlo, Amalia Hernandez, David Alfaro Siquieros, Octavio Paz, Rodolfo Gonzales, Luis Valdez, Lalo Alcaraz, and Lin-Manuel Miranda just to name a few.
Renowned poet, Octavio Paz, wrote --
“Despertar a la historia significa adquirir conciencia de nuestra singularidad, momento de reposo reflexivo antes de entregarnos al hacer. […] No importa, pues, que las respuestas que demos a nuestras preguntas sean luego corregidas por el tiempo; también el adolescente ignora las futuras transformaciones de ese rostro que ve en el agua: indescifrable a primera vista, como una piedra sagrada cubierta de incisiones y signos, la máscara del viejo es la historia de unas facciones amorfas, que un día emergieron confusas, extraídas en vilo por una mirada absorta. Por virtud de esa mirada las facciones se hicieron rostro y, más tarde, máscara, significación, historia.”
Translated and summarized, Paz is saying; Waking up to history means realizing what makes us special. It’s a quiet moment of reflection before we jump into action. It doesn’t really matter if the answers we find change over time; just like a teenager doesn't understand how their face will change as they grow up, the face we see in the reflection of a body of water first looks confusing—like an old mask covered with strange symbols. That mask is like history, made up of many unclear features that, over time and with focused attention, become clearer. Through thoughtful reflection, those features turn into a face, then into a mask with meaning, telling the story of who we are.
Paz’s beautiful words summarize the importance of honoring our history and moreover our ancestry to put into context what our identity means. This couldn’t be more applicable in the symbolism celebrating the Day of the Dead/ Dia de los Muertos. The 3,000-year-old celebration roots back to the Mexica celebration honoring the deceased. Families honor the memory of their friends and families who have passed away by inviting their spirit through offerings at the altars created with gifts and decorations.
Dia de los Muertos
Dia de los Muertos was originally practiced as a month-long celebration in its Mexica origins. The term “Mexica” should not be confused with “Mexican”. Although these two words have connections within the origins and geography they come from, it should be noted who in fact the Mexica were. Mexica were the people of what is often referred to as the Azteca/ Aztec empire. However, historians over time have referred to the Mexica people as Aztecs due to their origins of the land in northern Mexico that was once, Aztlan. Ultimately, it was the Mexica people who were included with various tribes; Chalca, Tlaxcalteca, Acolhua, Xochimilca, Tepaneca, and Tlahuica, together settling in central Mexico and formed Tenochtitlan – the capitol of the Aztec Empire and current day Mexico City. Nevertheless, the many tribes who shared the Nahuatl language and traditions are more appropriately referred to collectively as Mexica, the many indigenous people with shared ancestry in Mexico.
However, with the Spanish colonization of the Mesoamericans, many traditions experienced syncretism to assimilate the indigenous people into the Spanish societies. As a result, the Catholic practice of All Saints Day was adapted into what many Latin cultures currently observe as Dia de los Muertos today – a three day event. The first day (November 1st) Dia de los Inocentes/Angelitos would be dedicated to the children and infants, the second day (November 2nd) Dia de los Difuntos would be dedicated to the adults, and the third day (November 3rd) would be dedicated to all spirits and a goodbye parade as el Dia de los Muertos.
Unlike other cultures, Mexica culture did not fear death and instead viewed the passing as a continuation of life in a living space referred to as Mictlán – a place overseen by the goddess of death, often illustrated as La Catrina (Mictecacihuatl).
One artist who would best summarize the spirit of Dia de Los Muertos, is José Guadalupe Posada. Posada’s iconic illustrations have inspired many future generations and have been used to decorate ofrendas. An interesting fact, symbology of the elements used to decorate the ofrendas – Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water have more meaning than what appears. Earth was represented by the Pan de Muerto, a pastry baked in the form of bones which was an offering to the ancestors and loved ones who made the journey to the altar. Fire was represented in the many candles lit at an altar to guide the spirits to the altar. Wind was represented in the Papel Picado (the hand-cut ornate banners) which hung above the altars and would blow in the wind. Water would be provided in containers/pitchers, offerings to the spirits to replenish themselves from the long journey from Mictlán.
Dia de los Muertos at King Library
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library has an elaborate collection of ofrendas on display now, until November 4, 2025. Additionally, several SJPL branch libraries will have their own ofrendas on display that have been curated by staff and volunteers. Take a moment to visit our SJPL events page to plan a trip to visit a local library to enjoy the spirit of Dia de los Muertos and/or be inspired to create your own family ofrenda at your home to honor the spirit of your ancestors.
Spanish Resources at SJPL
The San Jose Public Library has additionally added a new online multimedia media platform, Estante Infinito. Estante has a collection of Spanish movies and series for both adults and children to enjoy. There is also the MakeMake eBook platform that has lots of interactive Spanish eBooks to read along with your family as well as bilingual (English-Spanish) books available to improve and/or learn Spanish. If you enjoy learning about other Latin-American cultural traditions and/or origin stories, consider reading the story “Cuentan Que Hace Mucho, Mucho Tiempo …” by Guillermo Barrantes and Patricio Oliver, available on MakeMake. This eBook shares legends and myths that have been shared through story for centuries among various Latin-American countries.
If you prefer to enjoy physical materials to read with your family, explore our Adult and Children librarian’s reading list on the theme of Day of the dead.
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