Today marks the last day of the Day of the Dead (aka Dia de los Muertos), the Mexican holiday that celebrates the lives of deceased friends and family. It is generally celebrated from Oct 31 to Nov 2, although observerances can continue for several days thereafter.
It is an ancient holiday dating back thousands of years to the Aztec Empire. The multi-day colorful holiday, celebrated throughout Mexico and by people of Mexican heritage, focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey. In its essence, it's a joyous occasion that’s about dispelling fear and embracing the cycle of life.
It is not like Halloween; it is not about scary ghosts and monsters; it is a solemn as well as joyous occasion to remember, pay respect to and to connect with the loved ones who have departed. It is an occasion to honor their lives, their times and their contributions and strengthen the links between the past and the future.
From en.wikipedia.org/… —
The Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico developed from ancient traditions among its pre-Columbian cultures. Rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors had been observed by these civilizations perhaps for as long as 2,500–3,000 years. The festival that developed into the modern Day of the Dead fell in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, about the beginning of August, and was celebrated for an entire month. The festivities were dedicated to the goddess known as the "Lady of the Dead", corresponding to the modern La Calavera Catrina.
By the late 20th century in most regions of Mexico, practices had developed to honor dead children and infants on November 1, and to honor deceased adults on November 2. November 1 is generally referred to as Día de los Inocentes ("Day of the Innocents") but also as Día de los Angelitos ("Day of the Little Angels"); November 2 is referred to as Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos ("Day of the Dead").
From www.google.com/...
Calacas y calaveras (skeletons and skulls), seen all throughout Mexico during this time, are an essential part of the festive decor. In particular, the finely dressed skeletal woman La Calavera Catrina, also known as Mexico's “Grand Dame of Death,” has become an icon of the season.
To honor the memory of close friends, relatives, and loved ones, families put up ofrendas, or altars adorned with portraits, clothing, and playthings, incense, and favorite drinks and food including the traditional sweet bread known as Pan de Muertos. Trails of marigold flowers lead the way from the cemetery to the front door, making sure the dearly departed can find their way home.
Colorful ofrendas or altars are set up in many homes, surrounded by favorite food and drink, as well as photographs and cherished mementos, plus sweet Pan de Muertos and sugar skulls. Burning candles and incense is also customary to set the mood, evoke the spirit world, and serve as a reminder that death is just another part of life and that human connections will always endure.
Here are a few tweets, images and videos from Mexico and the US. Many of the tweets link to articles with many more images and descriptions of the celebrations.
Painted sugar skulls -
The parade in Mexico City this year -
Celebrations around Mexico —
In Guatemala -
Celebrations in NYC -
Los Angeles -
The Music of Dia de los Muertos-
Cempasuchiles marigold flowers -
Dia de los Muertos and Monarch butterflies -
Many cultures around the world celebrate and honor the dead in their unique ways. In Haiti, Fet Gede, the Feast of the Dead, is celebrated around the same time.
Fet Gede, the Feast of the Dead, or the Festival of the ancestors is a time when celebrations are done to honor the ancestors who are dead. It is celebrated either or both of the first two days in November. This day is marked by festivity all around, with people nicely dressed up, dancing through the street, enjoying their communion with the ancestors, and processions are held up on the way to the graveyards, where they feed and make offerings to lost loved ones.
They believe that by doing so, spirits are honored and their protection is gained for the coming year. This incredible rituals includes, drumming, singing, lots of alcohol and merriment to raise the dead. The Fet Gede celebrations are quite unique to Haiti, which portrays the beautiful amalgamation of traditions influenced by African, colonial Christians and the original Taino inhabitants of Haiti. www.myflightsearch.com/...
More coverage of the parade in Mexico City -
The parade in Mexico is a recent phenomenon, thanks to the spectacular opening scene in the 2015 James Bond film, Spectre. At the time of the film, no such parade took place in Mexico City; one year later, due to the interest in the film and the government desire to promote the pre-Hispanic Mexican culture, the federal and local authorities decided to organize an actual "Día de Muertos" parade through Paseo de la Reforma and Centro Historico on October 29, 2016, which was attended by 250,000 people. This is an example of the pizza effect. en.wikipedia.org/...
The unnecessary deaths of many, young and old, among migrant families, along the hazardous journey and in ICE custody, and of lives lost to gun violence, can only be truly felt by those who have seen it firsthand. We offer them love and respect. And a promise to make it right in times to come.
Today is a day, for people of all cultures and religions, to remember and connect with their deceased loved ones, understand the cycle of life and death and to make peace with oneself.
It is also a reminder for us to vote and GOTV, to ensure that the hard work and efforts of our ancestors will be rewarded with a better tomorrow for our children, one without the dark shadow of trump and his cohorts.
Feliz Día de los Muertos!
Further Reading
- Day of the Dead — en.wikipedia.org/…
- Day of the Dead: From Aztec Goddess Worship to Modern Mexican Celebration — www.snopes.com/…
- Cultures That Celebrate Death — www.talkdeath.com/…
- ‘It is not Mexican Halloween’: How to celebrate the Day of the Dead with cultural sensitivity — www.independent.co.uk/…
- Giant Skeletons Emerge from the Streets of Mexico for Día de los Muertos — mymodernmet.com/...