Calaca

For the component city in the Philippines, see Calaca, Batangas.

A calaca sculpture in the form of a "Catrina"

A calaca of La Calavera Catrina

A calaca (Spanish pronunciation: [kaˈlaka], a colloquial Mexican Spanish name for skeleton) is a figure of a skull or skeleton (usually human) commonly used for decoration during the Mexican Day of the Dead festival, although they are made all year round. In Mexico and a few other countries in Latin America, calaca also refears to death. Its most common cultural representation is the Catrina.

Description

The calaca is closely related to the mexican calavera, which also represents the figure of a skull or skeleton. Calacas and calaveras are often seen as synonyms, but their usage depends on context. The calavera is more often used to refer to the skull, and it's a more popular term used to refer to the edible sugar calaveras that are an essential element of the Mexican Day of the Dead.

The calaca is also a representation of death itself. It's widely used in the mexican poems called calaveritas or literary calaveras, as part of the Day of the Dead traditions. As part of the playful representation of death in Mexico, especially during this festivity, the calaca has many synonyms or other terms people use to refer to the death as a alegoric female character. These terms include the Spanish translations of: the cold one, the chief, the skinny one, the bony one, the Holy Death, the sad one, the ugly one, the stiff one, the empty one, and many more. While writing these poems, creativity to describe the calaca is wide, as people understand the whole point of these poems is to talk about death. So, mostly any fitting adjective could work as a way of referring to the calaca in this context.

A popular phrase among Mexicans and those Latinos that personally know someone is "se le llevó la Calaca" ("the calaca/death took them") after someone has died or even got distant, although this last one is less common. Calaca is also often used as a nickname for skinny people.

In other Latin American countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, Chile, and El Salvador, "Calaca" is also understood as "death". The figure of a bare skeleton represents death and implies fear of death. Thus, it is not always utilized as a joyful image.

Origins

Tracing their origins from Mayan and Aztec imagery, the figures of skeletons, skulls, and bones, have been used in Mexico since the pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican period. Similar to other cultures, they've been used during death ceremonies and celebrations. In 2015, a group of researches and archeologists discovered 657 skulls in Mexico City. They performed the excavation where the former Aztec temple Templo Mayor used to be. The structure containing these skulls suggested to be part of a practice, known as tzompantli, to honor their gods through sacrifice.

The Spanish empire also influenced the calaca's cultural relevance in Mexico. During the 1960's, people celebrated the Holy Week through diverse traditions, including the decoration of big Judas figures, some represented with skeletons.

Mexican political lithographer José Guadalupe Posada's works inspired the modern interpretations of the calaca.

Festivities and cultural relevance

Calacas are frequently shown with marigold flowers and foliage, especially when used as part of the Day of the Dead festival traditions and celebrations. For festivities purposes, calacas are generally colorful and vibrant. The traditions are built on the belief that the afterlife can be happy and joyful. For that reason, calacas are often depicted dancing or playing music.

Calacas used in the festival include calaveras, which are represented through a variety of art and figures such as carved skull masks worn by revelers, small figures made out of carved wood, stone, or fired clay, sweet treats in the form of skulls or skeletons like the sugar skulls, alebrijes, murals, and many other handmade crafts.

TV, cinema, and other media representation

Calacas are prominently featured as representations of the deceased in the animated films The Book of Life and Coco. In Coco, the main character Miguel is in a race against time to get his family's blessings before he turns into a calaca himself.

In El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, the villain Santana of the Dead (voiced by Susan Silo) is a calaca and commands various calacas that are in her service.

Other skeletons or calaca-like figures can be seen in the Tim Burton film Corpse Bride, Neil Gaiman's movie Coraline, video games such as LittleBigPlanet (2008) and Guacamelee! (2013), and the 1998 Tim Schafer computer game Grim Fandango.

See also

• Calavera
• Cuco
• La Calavera Catrina
• Santa Muerte