By Jake Swan Día de Los Muertos, also known as the Day of the Dead, is celebrated on November 1st through November 2nd. It celebrates the reuniting of families with their lost loved ones. This holiday, celebrated throughout most of Latin America and some Catholic countries, is a fun and honorable way to respect those who have died. Día de Los Muertos, unlike other holidays, turns mourning into a celebration of life and death. How did this Mexican holiday spread to other countries and become somewhat of an international holiday? ORIGINS The Day of the Dead’s earliest origins come from the Aztecs in what is now central Mexico. Just like today, the Aztecs used skulls to honor the dead. When the Spanish conquered the Aztecs in the 16th century, the Catholic Church fused Christian traditions with the holidays of the indigenous people. This included Día de Los Muertos as well as All Souls Day and All Saints Day. The holiday today has spread all over the world and is now celebrated throughout Brazil, Ecuador, the Philippines, and more. Día de Los Muertos consists of a mix of Spanish culture, European religion, and old Mesoamerican ritual. In the origins, It was believed that after a person passed they traveled to the Land of the Dead, also known as Chicunamictlán. There they would have to travel through nine levels (a journey) so that their soul could reach the final resting place or the Mictlán. Families to assist their deceased loved ones on this journey would leave out food and water on their graves or altars that they set up called Ofrendas. TRANSFORMATION TO THE U.S. We can trace the earliest sightings of Día de Los Muertos inside the US back around to the 1890s when Mexican immigrants brought their customs and traditions with them when traveling to the United States. Slowly the traditions started migrating as well. The rise of Día de Los Muertos celebrations began to spread. There are some recollections of Día de Los Muertos in earlier years such as different books published in the 1950s. One of these books “Day of the Dead in the USA: The Migration and Transformation of a Cultural Phenomenon,” depicts a southern Texas family who celebrates Día de Los Muertos with flowers and candles. Though during the Texas family's celebration, there were no decorated skulls, but there were still many similarities to the celebrations done by the Aztecs. TODAY
Día de Los Muertos has only grown in popularity and is today considered a national holiday. People all over the world commemorate this special holiday together on November first and second. Disney and Fox Animation also have made movies about this holiday such as "Coco" and "The Book of Life," showing off different aspects of the tradition and culture. In total, Día de Los Muertos is a big holiday that's coming up that's a celebration for both the living and the dead.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
StaffLearn more about the people behind the stories by clicking the button below. Archives
September 2023
Categories |