From Solemnity to Celebration: The Commercialization of the Day of the Dead (thesis)

Abstract

As holidays have evolved over the past century many have changed from their original intention of celebrating military victories or certain individuals to focusing more on commercial practices that imitate a false sense of community. This shift in focus calls the authenticity of the commemorations into question. One well-known Latin American commemoration, Día de los Muertos - translated as the Day of the Dead - which is typically celebrated in early November, has undergone such transformations. Since its origins, the Day of the Dead commemoration has evolved from its focus on solemnity for the dead to more of a celebration of their memory, consequentially shifting to become more commercialized. To examine the evolution and transformation of the Day of the Dead and its commercialization, one must first survey memory frameworks in relation to the commemoration. The first section of this paper will cover how crucial memory is, and how malleable it is, when seeking to commemorate or memorialize an event, person, object, etc. Following the analysis of memory and its theoretical frameworks, an exploration of the origins of the Day of the Dead and the devices which are used to represent the holiday will help to connect the frameworks to the topic at hand. Finally, the last section of this paper will evaluate how the commemoration has evolved from previous generations and iterations to become a well-known holiday around the world that has become more closely associated with commercialized practices rather than solemn remembrance. [From Introduction]