![]() This figurine is normally only present on altars for children as a toy. The food placed on the altar is for the dead, but the remainders are also used to entertain the family gathered around for the celebration. The feast even includes drinks: Water is a must, but you can also offer a bottle of tequila or mezcal. Popular foods include the typical Mexican dishes such as tamales, mole, pumpkin sweets and the so-called pan de muerto (bread of the dead). The festín is usually made up of the favorite dishes of the honored deceased. It allegedly loses all its essence after the night of Día de Muertos because the spirits absorb its flavors. The festín is a feast of food and drinks specially prepared for the altar. The cross is usually placed on top of the altar or next to the photographs of the deceased, but they can also be found at the base of the offering, depicted in salt. This is a contribution from Catholicism, and is another reminder of the religious syncretism between the pre-Hispanic celebration of death and Christian additions. On the altars, it’s common to find symbols that refer to the Crucifixion cross. Copal is also important because it’s used to purify souls. The logic goes that because souls aren’t necessarily attracted by the same (visual) stimuli as we are, scents can be more suitable to attract them. In general, aromas are considered to be a very important type of offering for the dead. These objects capture the playful and ambivalent spirit of the celebration.Ĭopal resin is a byproduct of the tropical tree Protium copal, and it’s used as incense in the altars for the Day of the Dead. You can also find calaveritas literarias (literally “little literary skulls”), which are texts in rhyme that celebrate the life of someone who hasn’t died yet. In the traditional Día de Muertos celebration, these skulls are made of sugar, but now you can find chocolate or even amaranth versions. This is one of the primary reasons skulls are still present on altars of the dead. They even built whole walls made of skulls called tzompantlis. ![]() Human skulls were used in the Mesoamerican world in Aztec offerings to their gods. The altar is always decorated with many objects, each of which symbolizes something. ![]() In the Christian tradition, it has to do with the seven deadly sins. It’s usually constructed with a multilevel structure: Two levels if you want to separate the earthly world from the celestial one three if you want to separate the sky, earth and the underworld or seven, since this is the number of levels that a soul must pass through to reach heaven.Īccording to the Aztec culture, these seven levels are connected to the way in which one dies. It can take several possible forms - and there are many rules on how to assemble it correctly. The altar is the centerpiece of the Día de Muertos celebration. Here are 12 items that you have to know to fully understand this celebration of life and death. People believe that on this day, the spirits come to the altar where they are represented (through photographs and personal objects) to be surrounded by the loved ones they left behind.Īs with other important religious celebrations, there are several key elements for this celebration. It’s a day to reflect on the transience of our existence, to remember our loved ones and celebrate the idea that their legacies and essences stay with us. The Day of the Dead takes place on November 2 and, due to its distinctly religious background, is also known as All Souls’ Day.Īt the center of this celebration is the importance of taking a moment to value life by looking at death. ![]() ![]() Pre-Columbian cultures celebrated many rites related to death, and after the arrival of the Spaniards, these celebrations took on new forms that attract attention from around the globe. Día de Muertos is a holiday that dates back to the Spanish Conquest: It’s a merging of different pre-Hispanic traditions that honored the cycle of life and death, which were later influenced by the imposition of Catholicism. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |