The Marigold of Day of the Dead
During a traditional festival of life and death, a golden-hued flower takes center stage. This flower is not only a decoration, but also a source of carotenoids used in the food & pharma industry.
The Day of the Dead, known in Spanish as Día de Muertos or Día de los Muertos, is a festive occasion traditionally observed on November 1st and 2nd. Its origins are deeply rooted in Mexico, where the celebration has been most extensively developed, but it also holds significance for people of Mexican heritage worldwide.
This multi-day festival is a time when families and friends come together to honor and remember those who have passed away. The tone of the observance is often light-hearted, with participants sharing amusing stories and fond memories of the deceased.
Integral to the holiday's customs are the acts of honoring the dead with items such as sugar skulls (calaveras) and marigold flowers, locally known as the cempazúchitl. Participants also construct home altars known as ofrendas (offerings), adorned with the deceased's preferred foods and drinks, and make visits to grave sites, offering these beloved items as special tokens of remembrance.
While the celebration reverently remembers the deceased, it also embraces the living. It is customary to exchange gifts like candy sugar skulls among friends, savor the traditional pan de muerto (bread of the dead) with loved ones, and compose whimsical, often satirical verses called calaveras literarias, which humorously epitomize living friends and acquaintances.
In 2008, the Day of the Dead was formally recognized by UNESCO and added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, highlighting its global cultural significance.
Marigolds and Day of the Dead Altars
The Aztec marigold or Mexican marigold (scientific name: Tagetes erecta in the Asteraceae plant family) is easily recognizable on the traditional Day of the Dead altars from its brilliant orange hues and large round inflorescence. This marigold is not to be confused with the pot marigold (Calendula officinalis in the Asteraceae plant family), which is native to southern Europe and used as an ingredient in skincare products.
The Aztec marigold is thought to have served an important role in pre-Hispanic civilizations, though the evidence for its use is not as prevalent as other related species from the Tagetes genus. The term "cempazúchitl" (alternatively spelled "cempasúchil") is derived from the Nahuatl (Aztec language) word "cempohualxochitl," which translates to twenty flowers. This refers to the abundant petals of the marigold, which is traditionally used in Day of the Dead celebrations.
Ethnobotany and Chemistry
The Aztec marigold is known for many uses beyond its important role in altar decorations for Day of the Dead celebrations. In other funerary rites, this species is commonly planted in cemeteries. In other cases, corpses are washed with water perfumed by the essential oil of this plant.
One of the main chemical features of Aztec marigold flowers is the rich content of carotenoids, which are responsible for their brilliant orange hue. Uses have emerged for this strong colorant in the food industry. For example, the dried petals, ground into a powder, are used in animal feed to ensure a vibrant yellow color of egg yolks and chicken skin, or to enhance the color of some types of shrimp, for example.
Carotenoids are well-known for their health benefits such as anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and eye protective effects. Those bright orange petals of the Aztec marigold are a rich source of lutein used in the food and pharmaceutical industry. Lutein is commonly taken by mouth to prevent eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
In traditional medicine, the Cherokee people have used this plant to make an infusion and wash for treating eczema. They have also used it to make a yellow dye. Among the Maya people, this plant has been used to treat nervous issues, grief and depression, and to alleviate problems based on psychological beliefs such as Evil eye (mal de ojo).
The flowers, leaves, and roots of Aztec marigold have also been used in traditional treatments of abdominal pain, carbuncles, amenorrhea, upper respiratory tract infections, and whooping cough. Antibacterial and insecticidal properties of the plant have also been reported.
Pharmacological Properties
Pharmacological research has revealed that both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of certain flowers, when administered orally, exhibit anxiolytic (anxiety relieving) and sedative effects in mice. These effects are linked to the modulation of serotonin and dopamine receptors rather than GABAA receptors. Active compounds such as rutin, kaempferol, and β-sitosterol may be responsible for these medicinal properties. Additionally, studies indicate that serotonergic pathways may contribute to the antidepressant effects of methanolic flower extracts. These extracts also appear to counteract memory deficits induced by diazepam and demonstrate in vitro anti-AChE activity. Furthermore, essential oils from these flowers, when administered intraperitoneally, showed no acute toxicity in mice.
The Takeaway
Not just a pretty flower, the Aztec marigold plays an important role in cultural celebrations, in food, and in medicine! The next time that you see them arranged in a colorful display, I hope you’ll think about all of their other important uses, too.
Yours in health, Dr. Quave
Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. is a scientist, author, speaker, podcast host, wife, mother, explorer, and professor at Emory University School of Medicine. She teaches college courses and leads a group of research scientists studying medicinal plants to find new life-saving drugs from nature. She hosts the Foodie Pharmacology podcast and writes the Nature’s Pharmacy newsletter to share the science behind natural medicines. To support her effort, consider a paid or founding subscription, with founding members receiving an autographed 1st edition hardcover copy of her book, The Plant Hunter.
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Great post thank you! I read this with my daughter as we lounge on a couch in a cabin for a rare weekend in the woods getaway.
In school she just learned more about Dia de los Muertos in Spanish class, and she taught me how to pronounce cempazúchitl. In science she is learning about carotenoids with leaves changing, and gave me a little run down. I love Spanish, science, culture, and these beautiful marigolds. I would brew some chill tea if I had them right now😉
Thanks for the fun moment and informative post. You never know how people are reading and responding to your words and in what context… thought I’d share one fun moment, and gratification that my daughter is learning and loving science so far. She picked your email among many I’m catching up on to read together.
And we watched Barbie last night!