I have always been fascinated with the Day of the Dead tradition. Not only because it is part of my culture, but because of what it represents.

One fo my favorite things about the Mexican culture is the belief in the after life. Whenever we would visit family members in Mexico or speak with my great grandmother or grandmother about what it was like to live in Mexico, undoubtedly, there would always be ghost stories scattered in between the stories they told about growing up. Ghost stories were such a large part of what it meant to grow up in Mexico.

Day of the dead History

Day of the dead is a two-day celebration that originated in Mexico. On the first of November it’s called Día de los Angelitos (aka Day of the Little Angels). That day is devoted to children who have passed away. On the second of November, it is called Día de los Muertos (aka Day of the Dead). On this day, we celebrate all the adults that have passed away.

The purpose of these celebrations is to remember all of our loved ones who have moved on to the other world. It is seen as a joyous event full of music, costumes, food, sugar skulls, and stories about those who have moved on.

Many people go to the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried. They build alters, take them flowers, their favorite foods and drinks, in hopes of luring the dead out so that they will be able to see them one more day.

meaning behind tote design

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When I began creating my totes, I knew right away that one of the themes would be Day of the Dead. It is such a beautiful tradition, full of color and joy and it has formed a huge part of who I am now.

I wanted to include traditional aspects of the holiday, while giving it my own twist. Therefore, I included sugar skulls, candles, papel picado, flores del muerto, and calacas. I wanted to show the comedy and fun often seen in this holiday, so I made sure all my calacas were smiling and that the two younger ones (the boy and the girl), including the cat, wore traditional Mexican mustaches. My favorite part was being able to use lots of bright colors that really epitomized the feeling of Day of the Dead.

I hope you love my design and tribute to such a beautiful holiday.

What holiday and/or tradition is your favorite?

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