CEMPASÚCHIL–THE FLOWER OF LIFE AND DEATH

 

Celebrating Dia de los Muertos

By Esperanza Beltrán

SOME FACTS ON THE CEMPASÚCHIL

The cempasúchil (aka Aztec marigold or African marigold) has the scientific name Tagetes Erecta. It is an annual, grows in the summer/fall, and comes in orange, yellow, and white. Its Spanish name, cempasúchil, comes from the nahual word cempohualxochitl, meaning twenty–or many–flowers. This flower, however, was not unique to the Mexicas as it was also known as expujuj to the Mayas and as apàtsicua to the Purepechas.

The cempasúchil made its first appearance in Spanish literature in the book Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España, otherwise known as El Codice Florentino, a 12-volume encyclopedia written in Spanish and Nahual, by Bernardino de Sahagun and a  group of native Nahual speakers which included intellectuals and painters (tlamatinime, and tlacuiloque, in Nahual).

The Mexicas believed that the orange of the cempasúchil symbolized the sun and was, therefore, bright enough to light the pathway home.

But this flower was not solely used for lighting the way for the dead; it was also known to have healing powers and was often used as a medication for digestive issues such as vomit, indigestion, and diarrhea, for curing cough, fever, skin issues such as warts, rashes, and sores.

Currently, in Mexico, it is used as food for hens to give the meat and yolk their yellow color and make them more attractive; it can also be used to make dye, insecticides, craft beers, and pulque.

 Of the 55 species of the Tagetes Patula, 30 are native to Mexico. They grow best in the states of Michoacan, Hidalgo, Guanajuato, and the State of Mexico due to their rich dark soil. While the largest producer of this flower was once Mexico, after the start of NAFTA in the 90s, they were not able to keep up with the demand and have been replaced by China, which now produces three-quarters of crops, followed by India (20%) and Peru (5%). However, there is a difference. Marigolds mass-produced in China and India have been engineered not to reproduce, whereas the ones grown by small businesses (or at home) will reproduce and regrow year after year. The way to differentiate between a mass-produced marigold and a naturally raised one is simply by the length of the stem. Natural marigolds can grow up to 3 feet tall and are sold by the bunch; mass-produced ones are sold in pots and grow only a few inches.

Of course, the most common use for the cempasúchil is for the setting up of the Day of the Dead altar. Aside from representing the light of the sun, it is also meant to represent the earth, one of the three elements that must be present in the altars. The other two are fire and water. Candles represent fire, and water should be placed in a container made of red clay. Along with these, make sure to have your loved ones’ favorite foods, drinks, and any other item that represents their personality or favorite pastimes (i.e., books, games such as cards or dice, tools, etc.) It can be as large or small as you wish, but most of all, make it with lots of love.

This article is part of the Fall 2023 issue of the Comadres Connect Newsletter.

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