Skulls In Mexican Culture

When October runs around you might see scary images of skeletons in the stores that signifies the arrival of Halloween. What do you think of when you see a skull? The use of skulls or skeletons is probably one of the oldest and most powerful symbols used universally across history. The symbol of skulls is interpreted, and expressed differently depending upon the culture. The skeleton plays a significant role in Mexican culture. It is expressed throughout its history in art, writings, and rituals. Starting with the Aztecs, to present day celebrations, skulls are used throughout the country and can be seen just about everywhere you look. From the American point of view, or many other modern cultures, the skeleton is revered as something scary

The Spanish observed a ritual practiced by the Aztecs, where the natives celebrated death. This may be what is now known as “Dia De Los Muertos”. From the costumes to the makeup the most recognizable practice in Mexican culture is the “Day of the Dead”. As mentioned, the Aztecs seemed to start the ritual by a month long celebration, where the dead were honored and remembered. After the Spanish conquest the ritual was Christianized, and called “All Saints Day”. By the 1960’s the Mexican government made it a national holiday. Today, the holiday is a “happy fiesta during which people celebrate relatives who have died. Houses are decorated with flowers, plants, and skeletons.”(1) The festival inspires people to create skulls, or Calaveras. They are decorated and eaten in tradition. Along with celebrations, skeleton use in art is important to the Mexican

He used skeletons to depict Mexican society of his time. Posada was a political activist, who used art to reflect the social inequality and injustice of his era. The most famous work was of a skeletal woman called, “Calavera Catrina”. The woman (skeleton) was dressed in fancy clothes and a hat that depicted the upper class. As author Barbara Lewis wrote, “Posada liked to draw skulls and skeletons to show how short life is and to make death seem less serious to the living. In his drawings he showed that whether someone is a peasant or a politician, in death we are all the same. His drawings depicted the poor people and their suffering.(2) Another artist, named Diego Rivera, who was inspired by Posada, also used skeletal images. He took the iconic picture of the skeletal woman and dressed her up calling her, “La Catina”, referring to a rich woman. Today the colorful images are recognized during the “Day of the Dead” ceremonies. Together Posada and Rivera captured the symbolic use of skeletal images. Artists to follow continue to use skulls and skeletons in their art, like Frida Kahlo’s use of skeletons as a central theme. They in essence re-invented the use of the skull to empower the Mexican people by honoring their heritage that was once suppressed by the