DAY OF THE DEAD, RITE AND TRADITION IN MEXICO
Devotion and syncretism, celebration in which the religious and the pagan are confused, tradition that defines the mysticism of a country and that even gives identity. The celebration of the Day of the Dead in Mexico is part of a rich cultural heritage that transcends time and space, at the level of being considered as an intangible heritage of humanity.
The Aztecs and the Worship of Death
The festivity of the dead is related to the agricultural pre-Hispanic calendar, because it was the only festivity that was celebrated when the harvest began. Which means, that it is the first great banquet after the shortage of the previous months and that it was shared with the dead?
In the Náhuatl culture it was considered that the destiny of men was to die. This concept is detected in the documents from that era. For example, there is a poem by the king and poet Netzahualcóyotl (1391-1472): “We are mortal / all of us will have to go, / all of us will have to die in the land… / as a painting, / all of us are going to be erased. / As a flower, / we will get dry / here on the land… / Think about it, eagle and tiger gentlemen, / even if you were made of jade, / even if you were made of gold, / there you will go as well / to the place of rest. / We will have to awake, / no one would stay.
This feeling of the representation of the destiny must be understood in the sense that the members of the Aztec people conceived themselves as soldiers of the Sun, whose rites contributed to the strengthening of the Sol-Tonatiuh in its divine combat against the stars, symbols of evil and of the night or darkness. The Aztecs offered sacrifices to their Gods and, in fair retribution, these spilled on humanity the light or the day and the rain to allow life to grow.
The cult to death is one of the basic elements of the religion of the ancient Mexican. They believed that death and life constitute unity. For the pre-Hispanic countries death is not the end of existence, it is a transition road to something better.
This is evident in the symbols found in their architecture, sculpture and ceramics, as well as in the poetic songs where the pain and the anguish caused by the passage to death are evident, the Mictlán, place of the dead or stark who are waiting as the most benign destiny the Tlalocan paradises.
Current celebration
Currently the celebration keeps a lot of the pre-Hispanic influence of the cult to the dead; it is not exaggerated to say that there is not a city, village or community in México where the deceased are celebrated on the days of November 1 and 2. The celebration in places such as Tláhuac, Xochimilco, Mixquic, Pátzcuaro, Janitzio, Oaxaca, Cuetzalán, Naolinco, among others, has transcended in importance the borders of the country, and year after year this celebration attracts thousands of visitors from other countries who are amazed with the deep spirituality of the autochthonous rituals.
On their altars they light wax candles, they burn incense in little braziers made of braised clay, and they place Christian images: a crucifix and the Guadalupe Virgin. They place pictures of their deceased relatives or friends. In dishes made of braised clay they put food, these are products that mostly are consumed in each region. Liquor or glasses of water, fruit juices, bread of dead, decorated with red sugar that simulates blood. Some other things placed on these alters are cookies, fruits cooked in the oven and candies with different flavors.
In contemporary México there is a special feeling before the natural phenomenon that death is and the pain it produces. Death is like a mirror that reflects the form in which we have lived and the regret. When death arrives, it enlightens the life. If the death has no sense, then life did not have it either, “tell me how you die and I’ll tell you how you are”. Making a confrontation of the pre-Hispanic cults and the Christian religion, it is told that the death is not the natural end of life, but a stage of an infinite cycle. Life, death and resurrection are the steps of the process that the Christian religion teaches. According with the pre-Hispanic concept of death, the sacrifice of the death - the act of dying - is to accede to the creator process that life offers. The body dies and the spirit is delivered to God (to the Gods) as the debt incurred due to the received life.
But the Christianity modifies the sacrifice of death. The death and the salvation become personal, for the Christians the individual is the important one. The beliefs get together again as regards that the life is only justified and extend when the death comes.
The Mexican does not like to think about his own death, he is not afraid of it because the religious faith gives him the strength to admit it and because maybe also he is a little bit careless of life. The scorn, fear and pain that the Mexican feels for death merge to the cult he profess to it. This means that the death can be a vengeance against life, because it sets him free of those vanities with which he lives and transforms, at the end, to everyone without exception in what they truly are: a pile of bones.
So, for the Mexican death becomes humorous and ironic; he calls it “skull”, “bony”, “big teeth”, “skinny”, “the parca”. To the fact of dying he calls it “petatearse”, “stretch the feet”, “to run away”, phrases that allows to play and in a mockery tone create adages and verses regarding the moment of the death. Even in the games of the Mexican it is present, through the sugar little skulls or paper figures, colorful skeletons, piñatas with the shape of skeletons, puppets.
All Saints Day (November 1st)
This day is celebrated the holiday of the saints who had an exemplary life and also of the deceased children. This festivity is small compared to the one of the Day of the Dead, in the traditions it is usual to make altars for the Saints inside of the churches, and many families make altars for their deceased children inside of their houses or on their gravestone in the cemeteries.
The altars are decorated with papers of many colors, cempasúchil flowers, if the altar is for a child they place on it toys, such as little cars, dolls, candies, etcetera.
Day of the Dead (November 2nd)
This day is celebrated with the maximum festivity of the dead in México. The celebration is full of many traditions. People like to take flowers to the graves of their dead, but for others it represents a whole rite which begins since dawn when many families make the altars for the dead on the gravestones of their dead relatives; these altars have a great meaning since with them it is believed that they help their dead people to have a good journey during the death.
The families spend long hours working on the altars, many of these altars are considered true art works, since they reflect the work, dedication and creativity of the people in order to offer a great altar. There are many ways of making an altar of dead; the simplest one is made by many people inside of their houses. The table is covered with a tablecloth and a picture of the deceased person is placed on it, and the table is decorated with flowers and some keepsakes.
Other altars are made according to tradition, where is established that the altar must have 7 levels or steps which represents the 7 levels that the soul of a dead one has to travel though in order to rest. These altars are made mostly in places where there is a big space where the complete altar can be placed; the room must be swept with aromatic herbs in direction of the four winds a day before of the Day of the Dead. First the skeleton of the altar is built this could be done with carton or wood boxes, or with any material available that help to built the 7 levels, of which the seventh one must be almost at the level of the floor and on it the second level is placed which is a little bit smaller than the first one and so on until the last level is made, each level is covered with black and white fabric. Each step has a meaning and must have specific objects:
First step: here is placed the image of the saint or Virgin.
Second step is for the purgatory souls.
Third one, salt is placed here for the children of the purgatory.
Fourth, bread, called “bread of dead” is placed here, this bread is decorated with red sugar which simulates to be blood, and it is recommended that the bread is baked by relatives of the deceased one, since it is a consecration.
Fifth step is for the favorite food and fruits of the deceased.
Sixth, the picture of the deceased to whom the altar is dedicated to is placed here.
The last one, for the cross of a rosary made of hawthorn and limes.
The offerings that are placed in the altar are the following:
They light four main candles shaping a cross oriented to the four cardinal points, at one side of the altar; they place a clay pot on a portable stove with aromatic herbs: basil, laurel, rosemary, chamomile and some others.
The elements that an altar must have are:
Purple and yellow paper chains which means the union between life and death.
Itched paper which gives color and joy of living.
Flowers are the welcome for the soul, the white flower represents heaven; the yellow flower, the earth and the mourning road.
Candles with which flames represent the ascension of the spirit. Also means light, guide of the road.
White and new fabric which represents purity, heaven.
The Wax candle represents the soul.
Copal incense which smoke symbolizes the step from life to death.
Corn represents the harvest.
Fruits are the offering that the nature gives us. Mostly are sugar canes, oranges, hawthorn and jícamas.
Sugar skulls are an indigenous tradition.
Water gives life and energy for the journey.
Dishes with which they try to please the deceased sharing the food they like the most.
A picture of the person for whom the tribute is.
A Christ in order to receive blessings.
A cross made of lime which symbolizes the 4 cardinal points.
Salt so the body does not corrupt.
A road from the front door of the room to the altar made of cempasúchil flowers.
A wand to liberate the dead from the demon and the evil spirits.
Personal objects of the deceased.
People stand awake during the night close to the tomb waiting for the spirit of their dead to go down and enjoy the offering.
www.mexicosmagazine.com
The Aztecs and the Worship of Death
The festivity of the dead is related to the agricultural pre-Hispanic calendar, because it was the only festivity that was celebrated when the harvest began. Which means, that it is the first great banquet after the shortage of the previous months and that it was shared with the dead?
In the Náhuatl culture it was considered that the destiny of men was to die. This concept is detected in the documents from that era. For example, there is a poem by the king and poet Netzahualcóyotl (1391-1472): “We are mortal / all of us will have to go, / all of us will have to die in the land… / as a painting, / all of us are going to be erased. / As a flower, / we will get dry / here on the land… / Think about it, eagle and tiger gentlemen, / even if you were made of jade, / even if you were made of gold, / there you will go as well / to the place of rest. / We will have to awake, / no one would stay.
This feeling of the representation of the destiny must be understood in the sense that the members of the Aztec people conceived themselves as soldiers of the Sun, whose rites contributed to the strengthening of the Sol-Tonatiuh in its divine combat against the stars, symbols of evil and of the night or darkness. The Aztecs offered sacrifices to their Gods and, in fair retribution, these spilled on humanity the light or the day and the rain to allow life to grow.
The cult to death is one of the basic elements of the religion of the ancient Mexican. They believed that death and life constitute unity. For the pre-Hispanic countries death is not the end of existence, it is a transition road to something better.
This is evident in the symbols found in their architecture, sculpture and ceramics, as well as in the poetic songs where the pain and the anguish caused by the passage to death are evident, the Mictlán, place of the dead or stark who are waiting as the most benign destiny the Tlalocan paradises.
Current celebration
Currently the celebration keeps a lot of the pre-Hispanic influence of the cult to the dead; it is not exaggerated to say that there is not a city, village or community in México where the deceased are celebrated on the days of November 1 and 2. The celebration in places such as Tláhuac, Xochimilco, Mixquic, Pátzcuaro, Janitzio, Oaxaca, Cuetzalán, Naolinco, among others, has transcended in importance the borders of the country, and year after year this celebration attracts thousands of visitors from other countries who are amazed with the deep spirituality of the autochthonous rituals.
On their altars they light wax candles, they burn incense in little braziers made of braised clay, and they place Christian images: a crucifix and the Guadalupe Virgin. They place pictures of their deceased relatives or friends. In dishes made of braised clay they put food, these are products that mostly are consumed in each region. Liquor or glasses of water, fruit juices, bread of dead, decorated with red sugar that simulates blood. Some other things placed on these alters are cookies, fruits cooked in the oven and candies with different flavors.
In contemporary México there is a special feeling before the natural phenomenon that death is and the pain it produces. Death is like a mirror that reflects the form in which we have lived and the regret. When death arrives, it enlightens the life. If the death has no sense, then life did not have it either, “tell me how you die and I’ll tell you how you are”. Making a confrontation of the pre-Hispanic cults and the Christian religion, it is told that the death is not the natural end of life, but a stage of an infinite cycle. Life, death and resurrection are the steps of the process that the Christian religion teaches. According with the pre-Hispanic concept of death, the sacrifice of the death - the act of dying - is to accede to the creator process that life offers. The body dies and the spirit is delivered to God (to the Gods) as the debt incurred due to the received life.
But the Christianity modifies the sacrifice of death. The death and the salvation become personal, for the Christians the individual is the important one. The beliefs get together again as regards that the life is only justified and extend when the death comes.
The Mexican does not like to think about his own death, he is not afraid of it because the religious faith gives him the strength to admit it and because maybe also he is a little bit careless of life. The scorn, fear and pain that the Mexican feels for death merge to the cult he profess to it. This means that the death can be a vengeance against life, because it sets him free of those vanities with which he lives and transforms, at the end, to everyone without exception in what they truly are: a pile of bones.
So, for the Mexican death becomes humorous and ironic; he calls it “skull”, “bony”, “big teeth”, “skinny”, “the parca”. To the fact of dying he calls it “petatearse”, “stretch the feet”, “to run away”, phrases that allows to play and in a mockery tone create adages and verses regarding the moment of the death. Even in the games of the Mexican it is present, through the sugar little skulls or paper figures, colorful skeletons, piñatas with the shape of skeletons, puppets.
All Saints Day (November 1st)
This day is celebrated the holiday of the saints who had an exemplary life and also of the deceased children. This festivity is small compared to the one of the Day of the Dead, in the traditions it is usual to make altars for the Saints inside of the churches, and many families make altars for their deceased children inside of their houses or on their gravestone in the cemeteries.
The altars are decorated with papers of many colors, cempasúchil flowers, if the altar is for a child they place on it toys, such as little cars, dolls, candies, etcetera.
Day of the Dead (November 2nd)
This day is celebrated with the maximum festivity of the dead in México. The celebration is full of many traditions. People like to take flowers to the graves of their dead, but for others it represents a whole rite which begins since dawn when many families make the altars for the dead on the gravestones of their dead relatives; these altars have a great meaning since with them it is believed that they help their dead people to have a good journey during the death.
The families spend long hours working on the altars, many of these altars are considered true art works, since they reflect the work, dedication and creativity of the people in order to offer a great altar. There are many ways of making an altar of dead; the simplest one is made by many people inside of their houses. The table is covered with a tablecloth and a picture of the deceased person is placed on it, and the table is decorated with flowers and some keepsakes.
Other altars are made according to tradition, where is established that the altar must have 7 levels or steps which represents the 7 levels that the soul of a dead one has to travel though in order to rest. These altars are made mostly in places where there is a big space where the complete altar can be placed; the room must be swept with aromatic herbs in direction of the four winds a day before of the Day of the Dead. First the skeleton of the altar is built this could be done with carton or wood boxes, or with any material available that help to built the 7 levels, of which the seventh one must be almost at the level of the floor and on it the second level is placed which is a little bit smaller than the first one and so on until the last level is made, each level is covered with black and white fabric. Each step has a meaning and must have specific objects:
First step: here is placed the image of the saint or Virgin.
Second step is for the purgatory souls.
Third one, salt is placed here for the children of the purgatory.
Fourth, bread, called “bread of dead” is placed here, this bread is decorated with red sugar which simulates to be blood, and it is recommended that the bread is baked by relatives of the deceased one, since it is a consecration.
Fifth step is for the favorite food and fruits of the deceased.
Sixth, the picture of the deceased to whom the altar is dedicated to is placed here.
The last one, for the cross of a rosary made of hawthorn and limes.
The offerings that are placed in the altar are the following:
They light four main candles shaping a cross oriented to the four cardinal points, at one side of the altar; they place a clay pot on a portable stove with aromatic herbs: basil, laurel, rosemary, chamomile and some others.
The elements that an altar must have are:
Purple and yellow paper chains which means the union between life and death.
Itched paper which gives color and joy of living.
Flowers are the welcome for the soul, the white flower represents heaven; the yellow flower, the earth and the mourning road.
Candles with which flames represent the ascension of the spirit. Also means light, guide of the road.
White and new fabric which represents purity, heaven.
The Wax candle represents the soul.
Copal incense which smoke symbolizes the step from life to death.
Corn represents the harvest.
Fruits are the offering that the nature gives us. Mostly are sugar canes, oranges, hawthorn and jícamas.
Sugar skulls are an indigenous tradition.
Water gives life and energy for the journey.
Dishes with which they try to please the deceased sharing the food they like the most.
A picture of the person for whom the tribute is.
A Christ in order to receive blessings.
A cross made of lime which symbolizes the 4 cardinal points.
Salt so the body does not corrupt.
A road from the front door of the room to the altar made of cempasúchil flowers.
A wand to liberate the dead from the demon and the evil spirits.
Personal objects of the deceased.
People stand awake during the night close to the tomb waiting for the spirit of their dead to go down and enjoy the offering.
www.mexicosmagazine.com
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