z THE DAY OF THE DEAD; A VERY MUCH ALIVE TRADITION

THE DAY OF THE DEAD; A VERY MUCH ALIVE TRADITION


Riviera Maya

The Day of the Dead is one of the most important and popular festivities in Mexico, celebrated on November 1 and 2. November 1st and 2nd. It is a Mexican celebration to honor the dead and dates back to the pre-Hispanic era.
UNESCO named this celebration Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2008.

The Day of the Dead in the indigenous vision implies the transitory return of the souls of the deceased, who return home to the world of the living, to the world of the home, to the world of the living, to live with relatives and to nourish themselves with the essence of the food offered to them in the altars placed in their honor.

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It is celebrated from the night of October 31. The 1st is All Saints' Day, and on the night of the 1st to the 2nd the offering reaches its maximum splendor. Prayers are said and in some areas of the country people spend the night in the cemeteries. At the end of the celebration, all the dishes and drinks of the ofrenda are tasted.

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The altar usually contains images of the deceased members of the family to whom this commemoration is dedicated, candles and lighted candles. Also, beverages, fruits, bread and food fruit, bread and food that the deceased liked are also placed on the altar. The image of the deceased is decorated with papel picado and cempasúchil flowers that cempasúchil flowers that mark the way back home.

The history of a tradition



No one escapes death, it is a fact. However, despite the pain it can cause our indigenous peoples, we have learned to perceive it indigenous peoples we have learned to perceive it as a stage in which we should rejoice because, as Mario Benedetti said. "death is only a symptom that there was life".

This celebration originates from pre-Hispanic times. During this period many Mesoamerican ethnic groups worshipped death. worshipped death. Among them, the Mexican ethnic group, whose gods in charge of defining the destiny of the spirits were were Mictecacíhuatl and Mictlantecuhtli.

Both were lords of the Mictlan or "place of the dead". In order to get here, the souls had to deal with and cross a series of obstacles to reach eternal rest. in order to achieve eternal rest. According to the Florentine Codex, the Mictlan was divided according to the manner of death. For example, the Cincalco - home of the god Tonacatecutli - went to those who died as infants, since they were considered innocent because they were so young. Another site was Tonatiuh Ichan - house of the sun - those warriors who died in the field were warriors who died on the battlefield.

However, in order for the souls to begin their journey, the living had to accompany them in the distance by means of a ritual. a ritual. The death was announced with shouts and cries coming from the elderly women of the community. Afterwards, the deceased was wrapped with his or her personal objects. Afterwards, the body was symbolically fed with the most exquisite food.

Riviera Maya
After the fourth day, the body was taken for burial or cremation. From this moment on, the soul began its journey. Later, every year for four years, ostentatious ceremonies were held at the place where the body or ashes of the deceased were found.

With the arrival of the European population, the ritual underwent a process of acculturation. This ceremony was joined together with the celebration of the deceased and was reinvented until it was conceived as we know it today.

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