The Return of Mictecacihuatl: Day of the Dead and Santa Muerte in NYC

From the beginning of public devotion to the skeleton saint, Day of the Dead and Santa Muerte have been inextricably intertwined. Former quesadilla vendor Enriqueta Romero and her recently deceased husband, Raymundo, unintentionally launched the fastest growing new religious movement in the Americas as Halloween became All Saints Day on October 31 and November 1, 2001. Raymundo had chosen November 1 as the day for the public outing of their life-size statue of the Bony Lady (one of her most common monikers) in remembrance of his daughter who had died in childhood.

As part of the two Days of the Dead in Mexico and other parts of Latin America, All Souls Day, November 1, is also known as Dia de los Inocentes, dedicated to deceased infants and children. The following day, November 2, All Souls Day commemorates the lives of departed adults. One of the big new trends in both devotion to Santa Muerte and commemorations of the Day of the Dead is to integrate the skeleton saint into rituals of remembrance.

This new practice makes a fascinating connection with the ninth month in the Aztec calendar, Miccailhuitontli, a feast for the revered dead presided over by goddess of the underworld Mictecacihuatl, a deity whom some devotees view as the original Santa Muerte. The Catholic Church in Mexico now routinely condemns the incorporation of Saint Death into Day of the Dead rituals as a heretical abomination.

New York City based photographer Griselda San Martin attended two Day of the Dead celebrations held by Mexican and Latin American immigrants in the city. Her compelling photography is featured here and her description follows...

I have been documenting Santa Muerte in the border region of Tijuana for over a year. The saint of death has a large following on the U.S. - Mexico border. I have met many devotees who started to believe in the “la flaca” (the Skinny Lady), after crossing over successfully to the U.S. At the same time, deportees from the U.S. who resettle in Tijuana also bring devotional innovations back to Mexico.

My current project documents devotion within the Latin American immigrant community in New York City, which is concentrated in Queens and the Bronx. I have attended both small gatherings and large annual celebrations and have met many devotees who have welcomed me into their homes, all of them eager to show me their altars and devotional objects, including lots of tattoos.

In my opinion, because of greater religious diversity and liberty in the U.S., they worship more freely than devotees in Mexico, a country that is still 81% Catholic. Devotion to the skeleton saint in the U.S. undergoes constant transformation yet maintains expressions of their ethnic and cultural identity.

Many followers whom I have interviewed in NYC became devotees in this country, and in most cases, after the saint had helped them when going through hard times. I have also met devotees from the Dominican Republic and El Salvador, who came across La Flaca for the first time here in the United States. Also most of the devotees have altars in their homes except for some cases where they live in very small apartments or when their parents do not accept their faith.

Over the weekend of October 29 I attended a small gathering on Saturday at the hosts' home (NYC devotional pioneer Arely Vazquez and her husband Jorge) and also a big party on Sunday that began at the host’s botanica and was followed by a procession and then fiesta at a rented ballroom. The host's name is Felipe Lopez, aka "Pasitas." At both events, the hosts served food and beer, a rosary was prayed to Santa Muerte, followed by music and dancing until the early morning hours.

In both cases devotees were very happy and grateful to the hosts for organizing the gatherings that allow them to practice their unique faith in their adopted city.

Griselda San Martin is a Spanish documentary photographer and visual journalist based in New York City. She is a graduate of the the Documentary photography program at the ICP in New York and also holds an an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Colorado and a M.B.A. from ESADE Business School in Barcelona. Much of her work can be found here.