Dia De Los Muertos
With Halloween rapidly approaching, I wanted to make a post about one of my favourite Halloween celebrations; "Dia De Los Muertos", The Mexican Day Of The Dead.
The Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico originated from the Olmec, Zapotec, Mixtec, Mexican, Aztec, Maya, and Totonac rituals that marked and celebrated the deaths of their ancestors. In the pre-Hispanic era, it was common to keep skulls as trophies and display them during the rituals to symbolize death and rebirth.
The festival that became the modern Day of the Dead fell in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, and was celebrated for an entire month. The festivities were dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, known as the "Lady of the Dead".
In most regions of Mexico, November 1st honours deceased children and infants where as deceased adults are honoured on November 2nd. This is indicated by generally referring to November 1st mainly as "Día de los Inocentes" (Day of the Innocents) but also as "Día de los Angelitos" (Day of the Little Angels) and November 2nd as "Día de los Muertos" or "Día de los Difuntos" (Day of the Dead)
Many people believe that during Dia De Los Muertos it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living. People congregate in cemeteries to communicate with the souls of their departed and will build altars, containing offerings of the dead's favourite foods, beverages, photographs and belongings. The celebrations are humorous, and joyful - as much a celebration of life and the lives of the departed as they are of death.
A common symbol of the holiday is the skull (called calavera), which can be found abundant as masks, foods (such as sugar skulls) and an array of decorative items. However my favourite Dia De Los Muertos items are the abundednt paper mache skeleton dioramas; scenes and situations that are re-enacted by paper mache skeleton figures.
Dia De Los Muertos is also celebrated in parts of America, the tradition being taken there my Mexican immigrants. And Dia De Los Muertos has gradually generated a cult interest worldwide.
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