The ritual of Dia de los Muertos dates back to the era of the Aztecs in Mexico. When the Spanish arrived in the New World, they encountered the indigenous population performing various forms of rituals, such as wearing skull masks and dancing to honor the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead.
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The Spaniards purposefully attempted to integrate the local traditions into Catholicism, after unsuccessfully trying to stop the indigenous population from celebrating their tradition celebrations and rituals. They decided to move and shorten the month-long celebration from August to November 1 and November 2 (All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day), to coincide with the Catholic holidays. In Oaxaca, the altars are built either on October 30, on our Halloween, or a week before November 2. Some preparations begin six months before el Dia de los Muertos!
The dead are honored and remembered, their graves cleaned and decorated with food offerings and orange Mexican marigolds. |
The celebration remembers those persons that have passed away. There are rituals to the celebration. The purpose behind the rituals is to invite a visit from loved ones who have passed on. Altars are meant for the persons who have passed away, who may be hungry and thirsty after traveling from the other side to visit. The dead are honored and remembered, their graves cleaned and decorated with food offerings and orange Mexican marigolds. The living eat the foods, which consist of favorite dishes and drinks from those remembered. People commune with each other and tell stories of their loved ones. November 1 is Dia de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels) when children who have died are remembered. November 2 is Dia de los Muertos and is traditionally reserved for adults to be remembered.
Zoogocho
In Zoogocho and in different towns throughout Sierra Norte, Dia de los Muertos celebrations vary depending on their local customs and traditions. Most of the towns and villages start preparing for the celebration 6 months before. For example, handmade candles that will light the altar in the cemetery chapel day and night. The making of the candles are annually assigned to a different member of the community. A selected family organizes public gathering at their home for the community and musicians arrive to play and accompany them in the procession of the candles to the cemetery or chapel.On the morning of October 31, graves are cleaned and decorated. Different towns have different traditions. In some towns, church bells start ringing at midnight and some towns start ringing church bells in the afternoon. This is to invite the souls of the dead to return to the village and join their family and friends in the celebrations.
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As the musicians play as people walk through the village more people join the procession until they reach the cemetery. Candles are then lit and followed by other smaller candles until the altar in the chapel is full and illuminates the cemetery and its graves. Those who have loved ones buried in the local cemeteries decorate the tombs with flower petals, candles, ceramic skulls and other items and maintain nightly vigils from about 5 or 6 in the evening until the next morning, with food and drink to sustain them. Prayers are traditionally said at about 11pm until about 3 a.m., so that the dead may return to the beyond in peace.The brass band plays on while the living and the ánimas dance till sunrise.
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