Copied from BloomBeat Newsletter from Ball Publishing: People either love or hate marigolds. I call them the cilantro of the flower world. I personally love them, not so much for the smell but the architecture they can add to our supermarket bouquets, and also how easy they are to grow. But in the fall, they are even more important. They are a cornerstone in the celebration of Día de los Muertos—aka Day of the Dead.
According to The Mexican Museum, “Día de los Muertos acknowledges the symbiotic relationship between life and death. El Día de los Muertos is celebrated on November 1 and 2, in which the spirits of the dead are believed to return home and spend time with their relatives on these two days.”
The holiday has deep roots, starting with the Aztecs. They celebrated Day of the Dead more than 2,000 years ago. The Aztecs would leave provisions and offerings for their loved ones on ofrendas (altars) to help them make the pilgrimage to the afterlife. Marigolds were also used in Aztec death rituals and are associated with Tonatiuh—god of the sun. According to the Aztec legend of Xochitl and Huitzilin, the two lovers would climb a mountain every day to give flower offerings to Tonatiuh. One day, Huitzilin was tragically killed in battle and Xochitl, in her desperation, prayed to Tonatiuh to reunite her with her late lover. As legend has it, Tonatiuh was moved by her sorrow and turned her into a marigold. Huitzilin was reincarnated as a hummingbird and appeared by her side soon after the transformation. Their love will endure forever as long as there are marigolds and hummingbirds.
The holiday has deep roots, starting with the Aztecs. They celebrated Day of the Dead more than 2,000 years ago. The Aztecs would leave provisions and offerings for their loved ones on ofrendas (altars) to help them make the pilgrimage to the afterlife. Marigolds were also used in Aztec death rituals and are associated with Tonatiuh—god of the sun. According to the Aztec legend of Xochitl and Huitzilin, the two lovers would climb a mountain every day to give flower offerings to Tonatiuh. One day, Huitzilin was tragically killed in battle and Xochitl, in her desperation, prayed to Tonatiuh to reunite her with her late lover. As legend has it, Tonatiuh was moved by her sorrow and turned her into a marigold. Huitzilin was reincarnated as a hummingbird and appeared by her side soon after the transformation. Their love will endure forever as long as there are marigolds and hummingbirds.
Fast forward to the present, where Day of the Dead is still widely celebrated and serves as a means to honor the deceased. Families decorate graves and ofrendas with marigolds and adorn them with personal photos of the deceased, candles, favorite foods and sugar skulls. Ofrendas provide families and friends with a physical space for reconnecting with the spirit of the deceased.
So why marigolds—aka “cempasuchil”? The bright yellow and orange hues of marigolds represent the sun and light. Their vibrant color and strong scent guide the souls of the dead to the world of the living.
