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The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos, Día de los Difuntos or Día de Muertos in Spanish) is an ancient Aztec celebration of the memory of deceased ancestors that is celebrated on November 1 (All Saints' Day) and November 2 (All Souls' Day).
The holiday is especially popular in Mexico where it is a national holiday, and is celebrated in the Philippines, in Mexican-American communities in the United States, and to a lesser extent, in other Latin American countries. It is a public holiday in Brazil, where many Brazilians celebrate it by visiting cemeteries and churches, bringing flowers, lighting candles and praying.
Though the subject matter may be considered morbid from the Anglo Saxon perspective, Mexicans celebrate the Day of the Dead joyfully, and though it occurs at the same time as Halloween, All Saints' Day and All Souls Day, the traditional mood is much brighter with emphasis on celebrating and honoring the lives of the deceased, and celebrating the continuation of life; the belief is not that death is the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life.
Who Started it all
The origin of now the call day of deads is uncertain, goes back according to some students until year 800 A.D.in the call dead Festival, celebrated between the Aztecs during the months of July and August, as a celebration to celebrate the end of the maize harvest, frijol, chick-pea and pumpkin, that comprised of the offering to the Mictecacihuatl goddess. This Goddess, queen of Chinahmictlan was the guardian of the ninth level of hell, Mictlan call.
Some assure that the tradition of the festival is mixed with the pre-Hispanic custom to bury to deads with their objects, as well as food and offerings for its trip to the other life. The tradition is born of the belief that when dying, the people happen to the kingdom of Mictlán, where must be a time later to go to the sky or Tlalocan. For the trip, our dear beings need food and water for the way; veladoras to illuminate itself; currencies, to pay to the ferryman who crosses them by the river, before arriving at Mictlán and a thorny wood to drive away the devil.
I like cheesecake
hi mi nimi isi simi
External links
- More Day of the Dead information incluidng altars, offrendas and recipes
- Day of the Dead in Janitzio, Mexico
- Dia de los Muertos in Oaxaca, Mexico
- View some examples of Dia de los Muertos Folk Art
- View samples of Muerto styled art work from local Los Angeles Artist.
- The Day of the Dead Events - Petaluma CA
- The Day of the Dead Traditional Bread
- 2006 Dia de los Muertos Photo/Poetry Contest