DIAS DE LOS MUERTOS
The rituals of the Days of the Dead are a combination of various cultural traditions: the indigenous of pre-Colombian origin, the Spanish Christians who arrived with the Conquest, and the influences of other groups from Africa, Asia and Europe that migrated to Mexico during the Colonial period or later (19th and 20th centuries).
The commemoration of the Day of the Dead is a solemn tradition that preserves a genuine outpouring of profound respect and veneration for beings who, in a material form, no longer exist and to whom, through the offering, are given tribute.
It is believed that the Church established the commemoration to the dead on the 2nd of November because the Benedictine Saint Odilon, Abbey of Chuny, fixed upon that date, based on a vision, in order to dedicate it to the "Souls in Purgatory".
There are two types of rituals: one for children and one for adults. Offerings and altars are placed for dead children on the 1st of November. If it is the first offering, the godfather from the baptism brings the arch, which is arranged with flowers known as cempoalxochitl or tiringuini-tzitziqui or marigolds and flower of the soul, a type of orchid that blooms this time of the year. The arch is decorated by the entire family and it will include sugar candies in the form of angels or small animals, toys and even clothing.
The adults are commemorated on the 2nd of November. The vigil begins the previous evening, with the preparation of the offerings that will be placed at the grave or in the altars at home, and ends the morning of the 2nd. Once the activities in the home are concluded, the family take their offering to the cemetery where they will stay until dawn, along with other families who are also revering their dead. It is also customary for the families to exchange portions of their offerings with families sitting nearby during the vigil.
Arches are made of woven rods and decorated with yellow marigolds and hung with fruit such as bananas, oranges, limes, jicarnas, as well as bread in the form of animals or rings covered with granules of pink sugar. Candles are lit to guide the path for the dead to receive their offering and they are often placed around a cross made of marigold petals.
Families make a pilgrimage to the cemetery and they will remain throughout the night and/or day, eating and drinking and sharing their offerings with their dead. They leave behind the offerings and the result is a spectacular display of color and a beautiful commemoration to the dead.
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A small cemetery that we passed |
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Entrance to
cemetery in Tzintzuntzan Food offerings and the magnificent display of flowers |
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More and more offerings and flowers |
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Lit candles to
help guide the dead to the offerings see the candles around the cross made of marigold petals Woman praying at the altar |
If you are not tired of the fabulous displays, here are several more from the cemetery in Patzcuaro. Again, breathtakingly solemn.
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Various displays the last picture shows Laguna de Patzcuaro in the background |
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I don't even
want to think about where the previous tenant(s) went... if you look closely, you can see the ledges that support each casket for the family plot. They are stacked one atop the other. |