The Day of the Dead in Mexico

The Day of the Dead has its roots in prehispanic history of Mexico. Its historical background is the ceremonies in honor of Nahua and Mictlancihuatl Mictlantecuhtli, the god of Mictlan and the Kingdom of the Dead.

Some historians believe it was who started the custom Tlacaelel (coinciding with the harvest time) to make offerings to the gods of death. This was to take marigold flowers (flower of death) and tamales (pie made with corn dough). This happened in the months of September and October (Ochpaniztli and teotleco) at the end of the agricultural cycle, when harvested in abundance various products, especially corn and squash.

Fray Diego Durán says that “in the Nahua ritual there were two celebrations dedicated to the worship of the dead: Micca-ilhuitontli or Feast of the skeleton, which marked the ninth month of the Nahua and August was equivalent to the Christian year, and Great Feast of the Dead, celebrated the tenth month of the year. These parties also turning to the dead, the Indians feared the. It is therefore gird offerings, oblations and sacrifices. ”

With the arrival of Spanish conquistadors, missionaries did not break with these indigenous traditions, but the opposite: these rites fully accepted and taught the people they conquered a new party: The Day of the Dead.

The Feast Day of the Dead in Mexico is a joyous and festive celebration that has nothing to do with the idea of ​​death grim, but with the celebration of the happy existence of souls.

Octavio Paz explains very clearly the way that the Mexicans understand that celebrity: “The word death is not easy to pronounce in the big cities of the world seems to burn the lips. The Mexican, however, is familiar celebration with the death: joke about it, it keeps you awake, the place is his favorite toy and one of his undying loves. Perhaps this attitude is so much fear as it may have on others, but at least shows that there is hidden to death, which looks forward face to face with contempt or irony. Mexican indifference to death is a consequence of their indifference to life. The songs, proverbs, folk festivals and beliefs show very clearly that Mexicans death cannot scare them for life and is cured of fright. It is, therefore, not only natural but desirable even die sooner rather than later. ”

So in Mexico the Day of the Dead is a great party.

Pic: http://www.destination360.com

The Day of the Dead in Mexico