Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in
particular the Central and South regions, and acknowledged around the world in
other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray
for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support
their spiritual journey. In 2008 the tradition was inscribed in the Representative
List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
The holiday is sometimes called Día
de los Muertos in Anglophone countries, a back-translation of its original
name, Día de Muertos. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico where
the day is a public holiday. Prior to Spanish colonization in the 16th century,
the celebration took place at the beginning of summer. It was moved to October
31, November 1 and November 2 to coincide with the Western Christian triduum of
Allhallowtide: All Saints' Eve, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day. Traditions
connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas,
honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and
beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Visitors
also leave possessions of the deceased at the graves.
Two Representations of "Catrina"
Scholars trace the origins of the
modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years
and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. The holiday
has spread throughout the world, being absorbed within other deep traditions
for honoring the dead. It happens to be a holiday that has become a national
symbol and as such is taught (for educational purposes) in the nation's
schools, but there are families who are more inclined to celebrate a
traditional "All Saints Day" associated with the Catholic Church.
Originally, the Day of the Dead
as such was not celebrated in northern Mexico,
where it was even unknown until the 20th century; before that the people and
the church rejected it in northeastern Mexico because they perceived the
day was a result of syncretizing pagan elements with Catholic Christianity.
They held the traditional 'All Saints Day' in the same way as other Christians
in the world. This is due to the limited or nonexistent Mesoamerican influence
in this region, and the relatively few indigenous inhabitants from the regions
of Southern Mexico. In the early 21st century
in northern Mexico,
Día de Muertos is observed because the Mexican government made it a national
holiday by its educational policies from the 1960s and has tried to use it as a
unifying national tradition in the north of the country.
In Brazil, Dia de Finados is a
public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and
churches. In Spain,
festivals and parades are frequently held and people often gather at cemeteries
and pray for their deceased loved ones at the end of the day. Similar
observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly
themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.
In France and some other European
countries, All Souls Day was observed by visits of families to the graves of
loved ones, where they left chrysanthemums. Writer Marguerite Yourcenar
observed that
"autumnal rites are among
the oldest celebrated on earth. It appears that in every country the Day of the
Dead occurs at the year's end, after the last harvests, when the barren earth
is thought to give passage to the souls lying beneath it."
She also notes exceptions to the
autumn season, such as the Buddhist Bon festival which is held in summer. But similarly
themed celebrations of honoring the dead have been practiced since prehistoric
times in many Asian and African cultures.
Origins
The Day of the Dead celebrations
in Mexico
developed from ancient traditions among its pre-Columbian cultures. Rituals celebrating
the deaths of ancestors had been observed by these civilizations perhaps for as
long as 2,500–3,000 years. The festival that developed into the modern Day of
the Dead fell in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, about the beginning of
August, and was celebrated for an entire month. The festivities were dedicated to the goddess
known as the "Lady of the Dead", corresponding to the modern La
Calavera Catrina.
By the late 20th century in most
regions of Mexico,
the practices had developed to honor dead children and infants on November 1,
and to honor deceased adults on November 2. November 1 is generally referred to
as Día de los Inocentes ("Day of the Innocents") but also as Día
de los Angelitos ("Day of the Little Angels"); November 2 is
referred to as Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos
("Day of the Dead").
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