Origins

Fuego de los Muertos, The Fire of the Dead, is a new, intentionally created festival inspired by ancient traditions. Some believe that Burning Man fills a need for beauty, ritual, and symbolic meaning in our lives. The burning of the Man echoes the Wicker Man; the Temple burn recalls the Samhain bonfires. We choose to honor the ancient ways but are not restricted by them. We express ourselves in radically new ways. We create our own rituals. At FDLM we gather together to celebrate the year, to light the fires, to release the old, to renew our spirits, to howl at the moon. By making altars, joining the circle, dancing and sharing our art, we celebrate the savage and the sacred.

Samhain

Samhain (pronounced SOW-en) marks the end of the summer season and the beginning of the new year. It is one of the two main cross-quarter days celebrated by the ancient Celts, being halfway between the autumn equinox and winter solstice. Just as Beltane, or May Day, celebrates the beginning of summer and the light half of the year, Samhain, or "Summer's End," marks the beginning of its dark half. Samhain is traditionally a time of remembrance, of honoring loved ones who have passed away, of reflecting on the year. The dark half of the year between Samhain and Beltane is a time of introspection, of hidden seeds beneath the earth. The "veil between the worlds" is believed to be thinnest at Samhain. It is also a time of gathering with loved ones and preparing for winter. In ancient Ireland, all hearth fires were extinguished on Samhain night. Everyone waited in the dark and cold for the new fires of the year to be lit on faraway hillsides. Once they blazed, prayers and offerings were cast into the fire, and each household lit a brand for their own hearth.

All Hallows' Eve, Hallowe'en

In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV created "All Saints' Day," also called All Hallows. Originally celebrated on May 13, it was later changed to November 1. It was no coincidence that the day chosen to honor saints and martyrs was so close to pagan festivals honoring the dead. The night before "All Hallows," or "Hallows' Eve," was celebrated in much the same way as the older festivals, with bonfires and parades and costumes, while "All Hallows" itself was a somber holiday. The custom of "trick or treating" for children began as a practice in Britain, where children would dress in costumes and go from door to door, performing tricks, such as singing songs or telling jokes, for which they would receive treats.

Los Días de los Muertos

Legend tells of three deaths. The first is when the body cease to function. The second is when the body is buried beneath the earth. The third death is when there is no one left alive to remember.

"The Days of the Dead" are traditional Mexican holidays honoring the dead. Like Samhain, their origins are ancient. Before the Spanish conquest, the Aztecs held two festivals: "Miccailhuitontil," to honor dead children, and "Miccaihuitl," to honor the adult dead. Today they are celebrated at the same times as All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day (November 1st and 2nd). Families arrange altars of flowers, bread, fruit, liquor and candy around pictures of deceased relatives. These ofrenda de muertos welcome the spirits who visit the family home. Candles burn all night as the families remember the departed with joy and love. Many gather at the cemetery to weed around the family gravesites and decorate the tombstones. Some families have large picnics at the cemetery, toasting the dead. Far from a somber occasion, it is lively and joyous, filled with music, laughter, and fireworks.