Dia De Los Muertos - Poster of the Week

Dia de Los Muertos Los Angeles, CA

Leo Limón

Silkscreen, circa 1970

Los Angeles, CA

46528

Día de los Muertos, the Indigenous-rooted, primarily Mexican holiday marked by the first two days of November, is a time to remember and honor loved ones who have died. During this period, the spirits of the dead are believed to return home and visit their relatives. To welcome them, altars, or ofrendas, are built and adorned with cempazúchitls (Aztec/Mexican marigolds), photos of the deceased, candles, papel picado (perforated tissue paper used for decoration), as well as offerings of food and drink, and other reminders of things they enjoyed.

The origins of Día de los Muertos are estimated to date back 3,000 years, and are attributed to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl (known in English as “The Lady of the Dead”). These Aztec and other Mesoamerican traditions honored death as a natural part of the cycle of life. During the Spanish Conquista, the Catholic Church attempted to erase Indigenous culture, including music, art, language, and religion. But the strength of the Indigenous traditions often survived by merging with Catholic holidays and rituals, and Dia de los Muertos–originally a Summer holiday–was merged with “All Saints Day” in November. 

In the mid-1800s, Mexican immigrants brought their Día de los Muertos traditions to the United States where they participated in mostly somber religious ceremonies. In the 1970s, the Chicana/o movement revived the festival as part of their efforts to reclaim and celebrate their Indigenous history as a statement of Chicano and Mexican-American self-identity.

Let us find inspiration in the Indigenous people who resisted the efforts of Spanish missionaries to assimilate and convert them to Catholicism, and in the Chicano Movement leaders of the 1970s who embraced their cultural identity to oppose racism. Let this moment for remembrance inspire us to action, honoring those who have lost their lives to war, famine, genocide, gun and immigration enforcement violence. Advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves is an important tool in changing the lives and futures of all people.

As we approach Día de los Muertos, CSPG remembers the friends, supporters, artists, and activists whose contributions and work have inspired us. Since last year’s Día de los Muertos tribute, CSPG and the world have lost the following people. We pledge to continue their commitment for a better world for all.

Awdah al-Hathaleen (1994 - 2025)

David Avalos ( 1947 –2025)

Fran Ayres (1942 – 2025)

Alonzo Davis (1942 – 2025)

Jane Goodall (1934-2025)

Linda Gordon (194? – 2025)

Theodore “Ted” Hajjar (1942 – 2025)

Max Kozloff (1933 – 2025)

Anthony John Litwinko (1944 – 2025)

Tom Lehrer (1928 – 2025)

Michael Ochs (1943 – 2025)

Cecile Richards (1957 - 2025)

Assata Shakur (1947 - 2025)

Julia Stein (1946 – 2025)

Emily Winters (1936 – 2024)

Kent Wong (1948 – 2025)

For them we say:

¡Presente!