Host Intro: Dia de los Muertos is a holiday that is celebrated in the central and southern regions of Mexico and is meant for remembering family members and friends who have passed away. This year it us a bit more powerful for those who celebrate the holiday because of COVID-19. Anna Lopez has more on the story from Mexico City.
AMBI: *Cards shuffling*
Act: Stefany: Now you are going to repeat after me, I and your full name, ask humanly to the oracle to reveal me my past, my present, and my future. And everything and anything that is good for me to know.
TRACK: This is Stefany Rocha from Wáay Wáay, an online tarot reading business that started in the midst of the pandemic so her customers could stay socially distanced. As someone who believes in the supernatural, el Dia de Los Muertos is an especially important day for her.
Act: Stefany: Dia de los Muertos for me is the opportunity to connect with people that have departed the physical world. Even though I believe that you do have a connection with them throughout the whole year, though el Dia de los Muertos is their special day, but overall I think it gives and brings hope to the Mexican culture.
Track: Stefany says that as much as the government may intervene, in small towns people will still do what they have to do and even in cities as big as Mexico City, affectionately known as CDMX, COVID won’t affect any celebrations because they already are used to celebrating and setting up the altars in their house. There have been a total of 93,228 deaths in Mexico and 11,824 deaths have been just in Mexico City.
Act: Stefany: A lot of people in Mexico have been affected, most population of Mexicans they live all together in big families and like three or four or five people died from that family just within two weeks, so I think that I really like Mexicans that we laugh about death, though I think it will have a bittersweet flavor this year like it’s different to celebrate Dia de los Muertos for your 90 year old grandma who died because she was viejita. For those families who have lost a lot of family members, it will be intense for them but in a bittersweet situation .
Track: She thinks that this tradition is so important to many Mexicans that COVID-19 won’t stop them from celebrating together.
Act: Stefany: If I’m really honest I don’t think Mexican people they care about Covid. Obviously the government they have to set up rules or like cancelling the parade that’s like the government doing, but if I’m really really honest I don’t think that’s enough of a reason for Mexicans not to celebrate. And I bet you in the pueblitos they’re still going to go to the cemetery and they’re still going to do everything because it is a Mexican thing and we don’t care.
Track: Stefany says that Mexicans laugh at death because for them it doesn’t mean the end given that everyone has to die and when they do it just means that they will get together in the afterlife and party with their families. For Baruch College, I’m Anna Lopez.