The Day of the Dead It is a very popular celebration in Mexico and in other Latin American countries, in addition to also being related to the Aztec culture and with other similar celebrations such as Halloween, so if you confuse such similar celebrations, we want to explain now what it consists of and what traditions and rituals it entails. Next in About History, The Day of the Dead and the Aztec Culture.
The day of the dead and the Aztec culture
The day of the dead is a festivity very important, the cult of the dead. A deep look through world history shows us how certain beliefshave arisen independently in different cultures.
The name “Day of the Dead” may make us think of something bad, but in reality it is a day that, once a year, allows us to honor the memory of those who have passed away. In Mexico it is a holiday in which the skulls seem to be seen everywhere, but the truth is that in many other countries of the world similar festivities are also celebrated, such as in Spain that celebrates the “Day of All Saints” November 1st.
The tradition of this day is ancient and in fact the nearby celebrations of Halloween (originally Celtic) or the aforementioned All Day Saints (tradition Christian). But maybe The day of the Dead (in Mexico) is rooted in popular sentiment like nowhere else. A tradition that comes from the great legacy original towns and remains alive for almost 3000 years.
Day of the Dead and the Aztec culture – Transformation of the ritual
when in the century XVI the Spanish arrived in America, brought their traditions and celebrations to commemorate the deceased, that is, All Saints’ Day. But the natives there celebrated it in their own way, in this way the two traditions were mixed, the European with the pre-Hispanic, coinciding with the Day of All Saints and All Souls with theirs, giving rise to the current Day of the Dead.
External elements would also have an influence, such as the epidemics that shook the center of Mexico City, creating in 1861, because they had no other choice, cemeteries outside the city where the government took charge of burials.
But before this, in 1859 the custom of going to the pantheons and tombs to pray to the deceased and ask for their souls on November 1 and 2, also adorning them with flowers and candles, was consolidated.
The European custom is to go to the cemetery with black clothes, normally they wore the best clothes for the first time, and the upper class used to go in the mornings while those of lower classes in the afternoons.
history of the day of the dead
The Day of the Dead festivity has a remote origin. Due to the lack of historical evidence, it is not possible to have an exact knowledge of how it arose. However, some scholars consider that it dates back to the year 800 bc.
Several centuries later there are more certainties than the current celebration of the Day of the Dead would be a descendant of the so-called Festival of the Dead, a ritual celebrated by the aztecs in the months of July and August and that was really popular.
Was the party with which the Mexicans celebrated the end of the harvest beans, chickpeas, corn and pumpkin.
These foods consisted of part of the offering that was given to the Aztec goddess Mictecacihuatl. The Goddess Mictecacihuatl is in the aztec mythology the queen of Chinahmictlan and, furthermore, the guardian of the ninth level of hell, to which the aztecs they called Mictlan.
History of the day of the dead – Offerings of the dead and their meaning
Now let’s see what are the most common offerings for the Day of the Dead with the meaning that each of them has.
candy skulls. They are skulls that have the name of the person who has died on their forehead and are usually consumed by the friends and loved ones of that person.
dead bread. It is one of the Spanish traditions, it consists of a representation of the Eucharist. The bread is baked with different shapes of bones, once it is done it is sprinkled with sugar and anise.
Flowers. On November 1 and 2, the friends and family of the deceased usually go to the cemetery to decorate the graves with flowers and colorful wreaths, usually with roses and sunflowers because they think they guide the souls of the dead. The most used flower is the cempasuchitl it is believed to be the origin of everything.
1 and 2 November. These two days are key because it is believed that on November 1 the souls of children return and on November 2 that of adults.
Portrait of the deceased. On the night of November 2, that image is honored with a small altar at home. He stands with his back to the image and a mirror in front of it. They are also usually placed around twelve candles, they can be less but always even numbers. The cross It is a European symbol to remind you of the faith.
Pumpkin in scratch. It has an important place in this tradition, it is called that because the container that is used to place it is made of sugar, that sugar is called “tacho”.
copal and incense. Copal is used to cleanse the energy of a site and thus sanctify the environment.
The day of the dead and Aztec mythology
Researchers believe that the inheritance of festival of the dead mixed with another custom prehispanic: to bury next to the dead objects, food and Offerings. Is custom born from the belief that when people die they travel to the realm of Mictlan and then they get to Tlalocan (the “heaven” of the Aztec culture). Thats why he dead For the trip, for example, he needs food and water, or candles to light up.
According to this, objects were placed in his tomb and on the altar of the dead. When the time comes for the annual visit to the living -Day of the Dead- copal and cempasuchil flowers are placed that will serve to mark the path to our ancestors.
Behind the Conquest of Americathese aztec beliefs were incorporated by Church catholic to its festive calendar and began to celebrate the November 1 and 2. The November 1st commemorates the All Saints Day, especially dedicated to children. The November 2 to the rest of the deceased loved ones.
How is the day of the dead celebrated today?
Actually in Mexico and in other countries of Central Americathe Day of the Dead is celebrated by putting altars in each house in honor of loved ones in the family or admired public figures. Some families make a special visit to the graveyard: eat together grave of their ancestor, accompanied by the soul of their deceased. Family members also visit the cemeteries on the night of November 1.
It is traditional then that families build altars in the tombs of the dead in cemeteries where, as I say, ceat or dine and even spend the night and even accompanied by the music of the mariachis as a tradition at the origin of the festival.
The offerings and altars that are carried or made for the dead have great symbolism. In them it They place various objects that the deceased used in life and those who will serve him in the underworld. For its elaboration, flowers are used (cempasúchitl, an intense yellow flower that will guide the souls of the dead), food (sugar skulls, bread for the dead, pumpkin in tacha, mezcal, atole, tequila), toys, candles, copal, salt, water, chopped paper, portraits of the deceased or cigarettes.
This is done because there is a belief that during the celebration of the day of the dead, and only for two days a year, the souls of theThe dead have permission to return to the world of the living and get closer to your loved ones again. The Day of the Dead is therefore a true welcome party for those who love each other and are no longer with us. And this is probably one of the deepest reasons why this celebration is lived with so much joy and love.
Pantheons that you can visit on the Day of the Dead in Mexico
If you travel to Mexico and being there coincides with the celebration of the Day of the Dead, there are some cemeteries that are even visited by tourists in order to learn a little more about this tradition. In this way, you can visit these pantheons:
Pantheon of Dolores. This is quite popular since it is located in Mexico City, it is and is also the largest in Latin America. In this pantheon we can find the tombs of great personalities of Mexico such as David Alfaro Siqueiros, Rosario Castellanos, Diego Rivera or Agustín Lara. Such is the influx of people during the Day of the Dead that different cultural activities are organized inside.
Pantheon of San Fernando. It is located in the center of Mexico City, and usually also brings together many people on the night of November 1. In it, in addition to the tomb of great political figures, such as former president Benito Juárez, you can see up close the offerings and altars that are made and there are even guided tours and artistic shows are offered.
Pantheon of Merida. Located in the city of Merida, Yucatan, it is a large pantheon that houses a good number of Gothic and Art Deco buildings. Various cultural and artistic activities take place inside.
Video of the day of the dead in Mexico
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