Gone but never forgotten :The Day of the Dead
Thomas Campbell once said “ To live in hearts we leave behind ,Is not to die.”
I am sure at a point we have all wondered what happens after death .Reincarnation , afterlife , and heaven or hell are all things we have heard of .
It is only natural because death is inevitable.
While some presume they have to mourn the death of their loved ones , the Aztecs believed death was something to celebrate.
Today i will inform you about the origins of the day of the dead , how it is celebrated in the Mexican culture , and its transformation in the US through migration.
First, I will give you a brief preview of the Aztec roots involved in the Day of the Dead ritual .
According to The Latino Holiday Book
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They had several Feasts of the Dead, two of which (in our month of August, the 9th. and 10th.) bore the names ‘Feast of the Little Dead Ones’ and ‘Feast of the Adult Dead’.
Which is why the Day of the Dead is Celebrated two days November 1st dedicated for the children and November 2nd for the adults.
When the Spaniards arrived to Mexico in the 15th Century Aztecs were the dominant society .
After the the Spanish conquered the Aztec Empire, stated in the article “Day of the Dead” by Shmuel Ross accessed on January 23 ,2016 , they immediately set to convert the native population to Catholicism, for both religious and political reasons.
Now , we will explore the the different elements used to celebrate the day of the dead in Mexico and their meanings .
In preparation for the return of their loved ones souls the people set out to a variety of tasks to welcome the deceased .
On days such as All Saints day , November 1st , the cleaning and dressing of graves is most typically carried out . This ritual however does vary in
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Stated in the novel,Day of the Dead in the USA by Regina M. March accessed on January 25, 2016 , the 1960’s and 1970’s marked a decisive period in the U.S. history, when Latinos and people of color were engaged in struggles for civil rights and respect from the Angelo society.
Chicano activists in California began to organize Indigenous-inspired Day of the Dead processions and offerings exhibits as a way to honor the Mexican American Heritage.
Given that Mexican Americans had long been alienated by mainstream U.S. society , Day of the Dead celebrations were a momentous statement of cultural affirmation .
Eventually , Chicanos were able to popularize the Mexican traditions emerging the Day of the Dead ritual in nonreligious spheres and more as a form of popular culture
One of the main things the Aztecs are known for are their human sacrifice rituals. They believed that life and balance would not be possible without offering sacrificial blood to the gods since the gods sacrificed themselves to give them the sun. Burying the dead was seen as an act of feeding the earth. The Aztecs preformed two rituals for the dead, the first being for children and the second being for adults. The ritual for adults put special focus on warriors who died in
Cinco de Mayo is usually confused with Mexican Independence day but that day is when Mexico fought French invaders. During 1910, Mexico revolted against its repressive rulers and adapted its new constitution. They came up with the term for those who were told in Mexico they weren’t Mexican and in America who weren’t American. They wanted to belong to both. While the Civil Rights movement is mostly known to give African-American rights but, Chicanos also fought for their rights. The term Chicano first became accepted during the Chicano Movement. Thus, Chicanos have many things to be proud of. Their Aztec ancestors were intelligent people who built a city on water and made all Chicanos royalty. Along with their Mexican ancestors won two revolutions and won against the huge French army. Trinidad Sanchez Jr., a poet, wrote about Chicano pride in his poem, “Why Am I so Brown?” Sanchez wrote the poem in order to call attention to that all should be proud of their skin color. His poem talks about Chicanos having honor in their skin color by using imagery, metaphors, and
Studys into the Aztec way of life have usually focused on the Spanish conquests, rise to power of Tenochtitlan and especially into the ritual performances conducted by the peoples of Mexica.
A Celebration and a Lament.” IMDiversity.com. 4 Aug. 2003. http://www.imdiversity.com/villages/hispanic/Article_Detail.asp? Article_ID=9123.
An ethnography should have a balance between opinion and research. This text had the potential to contribute truth, history, cultural practices and importance, about Dia de los Muertos. The information, poetry, and stories presented, where them selves, beautiful; however, the tone and language used, clouded and distracted from the purpose and content. A balance between personal ideas and what the cultural practice is, without personal bias would have transcended the message of the ethnography, and made it about the practice it self, not the authors feelings on the
The infamous "Day of the Dead" or dia de los muertos actually takes place over a period of 2 days. It is the largest and most elaborate celebration in mexico all year long, its even bigger than Christmas. In the past, this period marked the time when the deceased could return to the world of the living and visit their loved ones, but now it is usually a time to celebrate, remember, and pray for their souls.
I am familiar with both the Mexican culture and the regular American Culture. Those two cultures aren’t alike. Mexicans celebrate different holidays. In American culture, we celebrate 4th of July because of the declaration of independence. But in Mexican culture, we also celebrate Independence Day but on the 16th of September, because we won the war against the Spaniards. Also, in American culture we celebrate the holiday that all kids love, Halloween on October 31st. Halloween is a day to go trick-or-treating and have fun. In Mexico, we celebrate “El Día De Los Muertos “(Day of The Dead) on November 1st. Day of the dead is a day where we remember all the people that have died and that holiday is in honor of them. Mexicans also celebrate “El Día De Los Reyes Magos” also known as “Day Of The Three Wise Men”. This day is celebrated for the day that the three wise men took each 1 gift to the Virgin Mary’s son. Columbus Day is a holiday that is celebrated in both American and Mexican culture. But besides the holidays, Mexican food is different from the all American food that is seen everyday. From pozole, tacos, quesadillas, and so many other foods, the cultures aren’t the same.
There, he convinced a rival tribe, the Nahua of central Mexico, to join his forces against the Aztec people. When the conquistadors finally arrived at Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec empire, the Natives were convinced that he was one of their gods. Cortés abused this misbelief and used it to receive a portion of the Aztec gold. He eventually began to force the Aztecs to supply him with more riches, and the Aztecs rebelled. While the Natives successfully forced the conquistadors out of their area, many Aztecs had succumbed to the foreign diseases, such as smallpox and measles, brought over by the Spanish. Using this to their advantage, the conquistadors and the Nahua attacked the Aztecs again in 1521. Months of fighting and the final looting and destruction of Tenochtitlán forced the Aztecs to surrender. With their opponents gone, the Spanish began to carry out their plans for New Spain. To build up this colony and take the land’s resources, the conquistadors forced the natives into a system called encomienda. In this system, the Natives were forced to do physical labor for the Spanish, such as farming, ranching, and mining. In the mid-1500’s, priests pushed for the system to be abolished, which led the Spanish without the Natives’ labor and looking for a
Why do people celebrate death? Many people including myself have wondered this, and when I first heard of the mexican holiday Dia De Los Muertos. Translated in english, day of the dead is a holiday where instead of mourning lost ones they remember their lost ones by making alters, decorating their graves with things they used to like or their favourite food and celebrate their life. This mexican tradition is now celebrated throughout the united states aswell and this year we decided to dedicate alters to people we lost in the battle against police brutality. We have lost so many souls in the past decade that a black lives matter movement was created. Its sad that it even had to get to this point but all we can do now is fight for change and
...parts of the celebration, October 31st, November 1st, and finally November 2nd. On October 31st, it is seen that the kid’s souls return. November 1st is considered the adult’s day of returning, and November 2nd is when all souls have returned from the dead and there is a big celebration. People of Mexico celebrate by making many baked goods and cooking meals, making objects such as masks and decorating papers and toy coffins to prepare for the return of the souls.
Mexican American history began in the16th century under Spanish colonialism. The Spanish had a goal of conquest and colonization. Evidently, that goal was successfully accomplished because when the Spanish first arrived in 1492 Mexico’s population was fourteen million, but by the end of the 16th century it had drastically declined to one million. Numbers decreased because of the cruel treatment, forced labor, and disease brought by the Spanish. The Spanish eventually controlled most of the territory in the Southwest and over three hundred towns had been established for the purpose of control and conversion. The Spanish imposed conditions on the natives of Mexico that would belittle them. They aimed to convert them in order to make them re...
In the Hispanic culture, The Day of the Dead is a very special holiday celebrated in Hispanic communities. The Day of The Dead is a celebration that last two days. It occurs on November 1 and 2. On November 1, they have a celebration for the young. On November 2, they give honor to family members who have passed away. Traditionally they set up alters in their homes with pictures, candles, foods, and many other decorations. They believe this holiday connects them to their dead ancestors and allows the spirits to be welcomed back. It is one of the biggest celebrations in Hispanic communities and is a very meaningful celebration. One of the specific holidays that is celebrated in the US is called Martian Luther King Jr. Day. This day is in honor of Martian Luther King Jr. and his fight for civil rights. His actions have had a huge impact on America and has become a role model for not only African Americans, but for everyone. He died for fighting for what was right and is honored on this day only in America. Both the Hispanic and US cultures have their own specific holidays only celebrated in these
However, their customs for both holidays are not the same. The two holidays share, pretty much, the same mood. On Halloween children and adults both are excited, especially the children because they are getting candy and dressing up as someone or something they admire or like. On Day of the Dead people are happy and excited because they are celebrating the life of their deceased loved ones. Yes, on Day of the Dead people our happy and excited and happy, but they could also be sad because they miss their dead family members or friends. On Halloween Children dress up and go trick-or-treating. Also a couple of days before Halloween, families carve pumpkins to get in the spirit of halloween, and it is also a fun tradition to have with your family. Customs for Day of the Dead are things like visiting graves of your loved ones, and spending time celebrating with your family. Aso on day of the dead people set out a pillow and blanket, so the spirits can rest from their long journey from coming back from the
The Day of the Dead celebrates life past and present and not just death alone. Revelers construct ofrendas, the offerings of food, drinks, cigarettes, toys, and candy, set out for returning souls. Revelers take joy in honoring the dead, usually with music, dancing, crafts and food. The children have many activities also including the decoration of pan de muerto. Kids can also try to throw beanbags into a skeleton's mouth, make cascarones (confetti-filled eggshell wands), or create clay whistles, paper flowers, pinatas or masks. Mexico and other Central American countries to include visits to graveyards, where families decorate the sites of deceased loved ones.
...cing and partying at their graveyards? That’s Mexican celebrate the Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. On the first two days in November, they stop everything for the most distinctive festival that mixes Aztec and Catholic traditions into a special time for families to come together to honor their deceased ones. November 2nd is the official national holiday for the Day of the Dead. An Aztec mid- August banquet with the ancestors was appropriated by Catholic priest to coincide with their All Saints Day to encourage the conversion of the Indians to the Catholic faith.