About Day of the Dead
The Day of the Dead is a traditional holiday with roots that date back thousands of years. Celebrations of death and the afterlife have been a focal point of many cultures and civilizations over the centuries. Though many countries have some version of this tradition honoring mortality and lost family members, the best-known event is the Day of the Dead originating in Mexico.
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Origins
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The Day of the Dead has its origins in Mexico, thanks to the ancient Aztec and indigenous tribal traditions practiced as far back as 3,000 years ago. While some cultures fear and loathe death, the Aztec culture embraced it as a natural part of life. The indigenous people believed in an afterlife and the continuation of the spirit. They held annual festivals to celebrate death and the lives of lost family members. Over time, these events gradually became more and more uniform, eventually leading to the establishment of a standard Day of the Dead celebration in August on the Aztec calendar. The festival was dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead. When Spanish conquistadors encountered these rituals mocking death over 500 years ago, they attempted to eradicate the tradition. This did not work, but the Spaniards were able to change the date of the celebration to Nov. 2, corresponding with All Souls Day on the Catholic calendar in an attempt to make it more Christian.
Mexican Customs
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Mexico is still the epicenter for the Day of the Dead, or El Día de los Muertos as it is called in Spanish. Traditionally, families get together and make trips to the cemetery to visit loved ones who have passed away. Mexicans decorate grave sites with flowers, candles, toys, tequila, crosses and pictures of the Virgin Mary. Music, food and drink help turn the cemeteries into a celebratory scene on Nov. 1 and 2. Nov. 1 is typically reserved for honoring the deaths of children, and Nov. 2 is for adults. Some families also build altars or shrines in their homes to honor deceased relatives. Processions in the town plazas and avenues are also common. People dress up in black or paint their faces to resemble skulls. They also wear shells and bones that make noise when they walk in an attempt to wake up the dead. It is believed that supernatural forces make it easier to communicate with the deceased during the Day of the Dead, prompting prayer circles and voodoo-like rituals throughout Mexico.
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Customs in United States
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The United States is home to many people of Latin heritage, and the Day of the Dead is celebrated in Latino communities in states such as Texas, California and Arizona. The celebrations are usually similar to traditions in Mexico.
Customs in Latin America
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Variations on the Day of the Dead also exist in other Latin American countries. In Guatemala, the people fly giant kites. In Ecuador, indigenous Kichwa families take food offerings such as guagua de pan to the cemetery for their loved ones. Brazilians go to churches and cemeteries on Nov. 2 for prayer and reflection. In Haiti, voodoo traditions combine with Catholic practices. Drums are played at night in the streets, and music is also performed at cemeteries to wake the deceased. Bolivians are known for preserving the skulls of ancestors and taking them out on the Day of the Dead and making a shrine.
Customs Around the World
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Similar customs exist in other parts of the world. In the Philippines, families get together to camp in cemeteries while they celebrate. Many European countries also share Roman Catholic heritage in which All Saints Day and All Souls Day give people the chance to visit graves with flowers and candles.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Esparta Palma
