![]() Families read letters and poems and tell anecdotes and jokes about the dead. Candles light photos of the deceased and items left behind. In these ceremonies, people build altars in their homes with ofrendas, offerings to their loved ones’ souls. READ MORE: How the Early Catholic Church Christianized Halloween Day of the Dead Traditionsįamilies decorate a relative's grave with flowers at a cemetery in Tzintzuntzan, Michoacan State, Mexico on November 1, 2015. The same happened on November 1 to honor children who had died. In what became known as Día de Muertos on November 2, the Latin American indigenous traditions and symbols to honor the dead fused with non-official Catholic practices and notions of an afterlife. Once the Spanish conquered the Aztec empire in the 16 th century, the Catholic Church moved indigenous celebrations and rituals honoring the dead throughout the year to the Catholic dates commemorating All Saints Day and All Souls Day on November 1 and 2. Skulls, like the ones once placed on Aztec temples, remain a key symbol in a tradition that has continued for more than six centuries in the annual celebration to honor and commune with those who have passed on. The Aztecs used skulls to honor the dead a millennium before the Day of the Dead celebrations emerged. The fusion of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Catholic feasts brings together two universes, one marked by indigenous belief systems, the other by worldviews introduced by the Europeans in the sixteenth century.The Day of the Dead or Día de Muertos is an ever-evolving holiday that traces its earliest roots to the Aztec people in what is now central Mexico. The Day of the Dead celebration holds great significance in the life of Mexico’s indigenous communities. This encounter between the living and the dead affirms the role of the individual within society and contributes to reinforcing the political and social status of Mexico’s indigenous communities. A specific day of worship, determined by these categories, is designated for each deceased person. The dead are divided into several categories according to cause of death, age, sex and, in some cases, profession. illness, accidents, financial difficulties) upon their families depending on how satisfactorily the rituals are executed. an abundant maize harvest) or misfortune (e.g. Great care is taken with all aspects of the preparations, for it is believed that the dead are capable of bringing prosperity (e.g. The deceased’s favourite dishes are prepared and placed around the home shrine and the tomb alongside flowers and typical handicrafts, such as paper cut-outs. This period also marks the completion of the annual cycle of cultivation of maize, the country’s predominant food crop.įamilies facilitate the return of the souls to Earth by laying flower petals, candles and offerings along the path leading from the cemetery to their homes. The festivities take place each year at the end of October to the beginning of November. As practised by the indigenous communities of Mexico, el Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) commemorates the transitory return to Earth of deceased relatives and loved ones.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |