What is the Meaning of The Day of the Dead?
Da de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is an annual Mexican holiday in which families gather to celebrate and mourn dead loved ones. The souls of the deceased are said to visit living families in their homes, businesses, and graves. During the harvest season, the Aztecs held fiestas and rites to honor their deceased. They saw death as the start of the seasonal and life cycle.
Each year, the Da de Muertos festival takes place in Mexico at the end of October and on November 1st and 2nd. This is a happy occasion for both families and the community. At home and at cemeteries, music is performed. The Accidentados, or those who perished in accidents, have a day on October 28th. The souls of children, known as los angelitos, are honored on October 31st. We remember the souls of adults on November 1st. The ghosts are thought to leave the next day, November 2nd. Traditional ofrendas (altars, offerings) are built by whole Mexican families and show a blend of Catholicism and old Mexican/Aztec cultural customs. The altars differ significantly based on village and regional customs. Traditional cuisines need a lot of effort to prepare in the house.
Traditional cuisine, fresh flowers, pan de Muerto (or bread for the dead), candles, copal incense (aromatic tree resin), fruits, textiles, photos, favorite drinks of the deceased, sugar folk toys, religious symbols, and clothes can all be put on the altar for the visiting souls. Tombstones, clay, and other material skulls and skeletons, sugar skulls, and papel picado are among the various decorations. A photograph of the departed soul is put on the altar, which is the most essential aspect. Pan de Muerto is a delicious bread cooked in the form of skulls and human figures for the deceased.
Traditional loaves are spherical, with a raised dough knob in the center, like a skull, and crossed bone-shaped ornamentation radiating from it. Traditional foods on Da de Muertos include chicken in red or black mole with sesame seeds, tortillas, and ground corn tamales, as well as soft beverages, aguardiente ("white lightning") whiskey, tequila, and always a glass of water. After a lengthy voyage, the returning spirits are said to be thirsty. Water is also thought to be a vital component of life.
Cempaschil (Náhuatl or Aztec term for marigold) is the name of the flower of the dead. The Aztecs considered cempaschil to be the flower of death since it died swiftly once cut. The major flowers are orange and yellow marigolds, although magenta terciopelo (ruby coxcombs) and nube (baby's breath) are also popular. Copal (tree resin) is burned as incense and represents the physical change into the supernatural, as well as the soul's return to the ofrenda. A sugar skull bears the name of each deceased person. The names of the living are also written on these snacks to help youngsters understand death in a fun way.The names of the living are also written on these sweets in order to teach youngsters to the concept of death in a fun way. The living start to equate pleasurable sensations with the grief of death after eating these sugar skulls. Candles and fresh marigold flowers are put on the altar to illuminate the road for the souls to the altar and to direct them there. Flower petals are used to designate paths that the departed spirits can follow to the altar. Toys from the Day of the Dead are also put on the altar. Painted clay skeleton figurines depict the dead going about their daily lives, such as playing. For the dead to play with, pull toys, coffins, and crank boxes are presented. Mexicans learn to accept death as a part of life
by living with it in this way.
0 Comments