Todos Santos

This weekend Bolivia celebrated Todos Santos, a tradition paying homage to the dead that begins at noon on November 1 and continues until noon on November 2. The tradition has Catholic and indigenous roots and is a fascinating mix between supernatural, religious and esoteric beliefs. Families remembering a loved one flock to the cemetery to hold vigils and set up altars for the soul and sometimes they will sit there for hours and enjoy some of the food they have brought with them. It is said that the angelitos (child souls) visit the cemetery on November 1 and that the adults come on November 2. I went to the cemetery both mornings to check out what was happening and I’m glad I went because it was so interesting to see a cemetery transformed into such a lively, happy place. Of course there were tears here and there, but overall I have to say the crowds of people flowing in and out seemed happy to be sharing the day with one and other.


Outside the cemetery were rows of flower vendors and food stands catering to the masses. It was refreshing to see a cemetery and the theme of death being approached in a much more uplifting way than the way it is viewed in North American society. At home cemeteries are usually off limits, not places to hang out and spend the afternoon, and they certainly aren’t this colorful. The Sucre cemetery is actually one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen here. The graves are stacked in walls one on top of another and each has a glass window with it’s own unique decorations. Little boys work in the cemetery year round and help families put flowers and candles in the graves using ladders to reach up to the higher rows. In some areas the walls of graves are so tall that there are staircases reaching up to the various levels. I managed to capture some photos of all this, but I felt guilty for being an obnoxious tourist wandering around preying on people’s personal moments with my camera…

On the afternoon of November 2 the celebration continues. From noon onwards families who have lost someone within the past 2 years hold a small (or somewhat out of control) celebration in their homes called a kanchaku. For the most part kanchakus are public events where anyone can enter so you can literally wander the streets and just walk in, but some are more formal and require an invitation. A kanchaku will have a large altar inside to honor the soul that consists of traditional foods, flowers, drinks and photos. Everything on the table has a specific meaning and reason for being there. There are various symbols made of bread like a sun and moon, and a ladder, which is said to help the soul reach heaven.

The souls visit the living world for 24 hours and during this time it is recommended to light a candle to ensure that they have a comfortable stay. If the flame starts to spark it’s a bad sign and usually means that the soul is sad, but if it burns normally the soul is happy and will pass on it’s happiness to whoever is paying it respect. The candles are blown out at noon on November 2 so that the soul's trip back to heaven isn’t delayed because it is said the doors to heaven close at this time. As the souls leave the altars, the festivities begin and visitors start arriving anytime after noon. Upon entry to a kanchaku you are expected to pray at the altar and then the family offers you a plethora of alcoholic beverages and food. Children don’t partake in the alcoholic portion of the celebration, but they are given lots of cookies and sweets. The adults on the other hand are served drinks with no ifs, ands or buts, and for this reason a kanchaku can last well into the late evening.
I had the opportunity to visit two of these celebrations with my coworkers. The first one we went to was relatively formal and required an invitation. We were served drinks by the family and were given lots of goodies to take home with us- kinda like a loot-bag, but with more meaning. The second one we went to was much larger and less formal. Although the home appeared to be in a lower-income area, the altar here was a lot bigger and piled with food and drink. We ended up staying at this second one for a really long time… Everyone was sitting outside under a tarp because it was raining and drinking from communal bowls filled with colorful alcoholic beverages. One was chicha, a fermented corn drink and the other was just some fruity sugary concoction. I stuck with the fruity stuff. The bowls of liquor were scattered about and people grouped around them passing around only one or two shared cups while toasting one another. In Bolivia it is rude not to invite someone to drink along with you so we basically sat there passing around a cup cheers-ing one another for hours on end. In case you’re wondering, this is a very efficient way to consume alcohol. Perhaps too efficient… Thank heavens (gotta do a pun every now and then) that Monday was a day off so I had some time to recuperate after my cultural immersion.

Despite the foggy memories, my Todos Santos experience really made me think about the way death is portrayed in North American and Western European societies. There is a strong disconnect between the living and the dead and many people almost seem to experience a sense of shame when remembering lost loved ones. The mourning process is so rushed and it’s more common to try and think of ways that you can get over the pain than ways that you can celebrate it by inviting over everyone you know for a few drinks. Here it is actually obligatory for a family to hold a kanchaku for 2 years after someone has passed away and after that everyone flocks to the cemetery without question. In the Western world, families certainly take time to remember those who have passed away in their own way, but having an official national holiday makes is so different. It is a sense of shared grief and remembrance that it totally accepted and celebrated- not hidden. Catholicism believes that what waits after this life is another life, and according to the Aymara and Quechua beliefs (two of the largest Bolivian indigenous communities) death is cause for happiness because to pass from this world onto the next is a natural and wonderful step.

Today is back to work, but even down here all eyes are on the United States as today’s election results begin to pour in. Amidst the election frenzy however, the continued worsening of USA-Bolivian relations goes unnoticed. Late last week Morales announced the suspension of all of the USDEA’s (United States Drug Eradication Agency) activities in the country claiming that they have been conspiring against the government. The president of the constituent assembly, who is of indigenous and cocalero (coca farmer) background, said that (paraphrasing)… ‘if the DEA can’t have a positive role in Bolivia in the fight against drug trafficking then they might as well go’. Morales feels that the DEA worries more about punishing the campesino cocaleros than trying to control the actual chemicals used to make the drug cocaine. The Bolivian government holds that the cocaleros have their own methods for controlling coca production and do not need the DEA to set rules for them. In Bolivia coca production is something traditional and not destined for drug trafficking.
This story will not get any play right now, but there is no doubt that with an economic crisis, and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on their hands, the USA probably doesn’t want to start fighting with Latin American leaders- not even Morales.