The Importance Of Day Of The Dead In Latin America
In Chapter 5 of Day in the Dead in the USA: The Migration and Transformation of a Cultural Phenomenon, Regina Marchi discusses the political themes surrounding various Day of the Dead celebrations in America. She claims that Day of the Dead events offer opportunities for Latinos to voice their opinions about current issues, giving them a sense of cultural independence. Furthermore, Marchi argues that the practices and rituals of these Latinos living in the U.S. during the Day of the Dead holiday brings them closer together in the midst of political adversity (Marchi, 73). Throughout this chapter, Marchi talks about different Day of the Dead events that have occurred in the U.S. within the last century and how their presence has shone light
Furthermore, just like people who are involved in a religion have specific holidays dedicated, the Latin Kings also have specific holidays or commemorate days to celebrate. These commemorate days are Kings Holy Day, King's Week of Sun-, and the Week of Blood. The Kings Holy Day which is on January 6th is also known as El Dia De Los Reyes (Day of the Kings). On this day Latin King “...gang members fast to honor ‘the memory of departed
Dia de los Muertos and Halloween can often be confused because they are celebrated within very close dates, but in reality they have distinct characteristics. Dia de los Muertos was originally introduced in Mexico with the Aztec Festival of the Dead, but the traditions have been tweaked over the years. Likewise, Halloween originated in Ireland, beginning with the Celtic Festival called “Samhain”. Now, the popular holiday, Day of the Dead, is celebrated from October 31st through November 2nd by visiting the graves of dead friends or family members. People who participate in Dia de los Muertos leave food, candles, incense, a poem, or a picture at the altar to honor the past lives of people they love.
The first day, called “Día de los Angelitos” (Day of the Little Angels), is dedicated to the souls of deceased children, while November 2nd is set aside for the souls of adults. In preparation for these days, families may clean their homes to welcome the arrival of the souls of their loved ones. Many people also visit cemeteries to decorate the graves of the dead with their favorite items and flowers. Graves and ofrendas are decorated with papel picado, photographs, cherished objects, marigolds (cempasúchitl), and skeletons made of paper or clay. Food and drink are placed on the ofrendas for the dead – people commonly believe that they can still enjoy the tastes and smells.
Aside from being depicted in Mesoamerican artwork, the concept of death in Mexico also tells the story of the imposition of Catholicism on Mesoamerican civilizations during colonial Mexico. Artwork during this time period illustrates images of death, such as a deceased nun, a masked death, devil and devil dancers, and ancient decorated skulls (Carmichael and Slayer 1992, 36). According to Stanley Brandes, scholars often have a difficult time minimizing the role of the Zapotec natives while simultaneously emphasizing on the European origins of the Day of the Dead holiday. Much of the pre-Columbian antecedents steams from the iconography of ancient civilizations living throughout Mesoamerica. This includes its huge amounts of skulls and skeletons during the modern Day of the Dead rituals as well as the variations of the meaning of the skeletal depictions as it differs from region to region.
In almost every region there is always some type of celebration. Celebrating the transition from a child to a young adult. In Hispanic cultures they celebrate this transition is similar as the American culture. However the festive way “Quinceañera” & “Sweet sixteen” also has its distinction. In this festive hispanic tradition “Quinceañera” is celebrated when a girl turns 15 and transform herself to a young women.
To many people skulls represent death and negativity however, for Mexicans that celebrate Day of the Dead sugar skulls represent death in a positive manner. In Mexico it is believed that death is not the final stage in life but rather a step forward onto a higher level of consciousness. This is similar to the beliefs of the Aztecs. The Aztec skulls were a positive symbol, not only of death but also of rebirth. The symbolism of sugar skulls is rooted in the decoration around the eyes.
On Day of the Dead, people go to markets to buy certain foods and items, some include las flores (flowers), El Mole (spicy chocolate), and El pan de Muerto (bread of the dead). People buy theses items because Day of the Dead is a very important holiday in Mexico and it usually takes 2 months salary to buy all of these things, it’s crazy. Along with people making altars, they must also prepare favorite foods of that loved one and also prepare themselves for the huge parties that they have on this special day. Halloween however, is prepared for by people going out and buying house items for the interior and exterior of the house. Parents also buy their kids costumes for this holiday to go out on halloween night and get candy.
Ancient cultures in Mesoamerica have a reputation for practicing human sacrifice, much of which is dramatized and over exaggerated. The idea that many people have of human sacrifice is much more intense than it was, with rumors of the heart being ripped from the chest of an alive victim, decapitation, skinning and dismemberment. Although many of these things did happen, it was not a constant and everyday thing for the people of Mesoamerica. It is important to remember that for these cultures, sacrifice was an art and a religious practice, and was ritualized and was regarded as a valued part of religious practice and a major part of their culture. Many cultures in Mesoamerica practiced human sacrifice.
Instead, we should celebrate this holiday as 1492 day. A day to weigh the subsequent and global consequences of what started with
El Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead), a Mexican celebration, is a day to celebrate, remember and prepare special foods in honor of those who have departed. On this day in Mexico, the streets near the cemeteries are filled with decorations of papel picado, flowers, candy Calaveras, and parades. It is believed that the spirit of the dead visit their families on October 31 leave on November 2. In order to celebrate, the families make altars and place ofrendas of food such as pan de muertos baked in shapes of skulls and figures, candles, incense, yellow marigolds known as cempazuchitl (also spelled zempasuchil) and most importantly a photo of the departed soul are placed on the altar.
The tradition of the Quinceañera is an important part of Hispanic culture. It is a ceremony on a girl’s fifteenth birthday that marks her passage to womanhood, to give thanks to God for his blessings, and to present a young woman to the community. Some refer to the celebration as, a female’s transition “from a girl to a señorita” (Arcaya & Salazar, 2004). Quinceañeras usually begin with a Misa de acción de gracias, or mass, at a Catholic church to give thanks for a completed childhood. The quince girl wears a formal floor length dress, traditionally white or light pink, as well as a diadema, a tiara or special headpiece.
In America, death is seen as the final experience on earth, and a grave experience for all individuals involved. In Mexico, death is considered a natural rite of passage and a new aspect of reality. October 31, Halloween in America and The Day of the Dead in Mexico, is celebrated in both cultures. The difference is in the fact that Americans still refuse to recognize the reality of death during the celebration while Mexicans embrace dead loved ones while they celebrate. Although these differences are profound, both are rooted in history, tradition, and
That day we eat tamales and atole. It is a Good time with the family. In November 30 or around December 5 we do some thing that it is call Rasca de reyes. It is a bread that Have a little baby Jesus hidden in the bread represents the flight of the Holy Family,fleeing from King Herod. In my culture , if a person get one they are reponsibility of hosting a dinner and providing tamales and atole to the guests.
The mortuary feasts is ceremonial that honoring the spirit of the deceased and other ancestor spirits, at which these goods are given to heirs of the deceased in acts of public, ritual generosity. With the help of enchantment and custom, Vanatinai people amass awesome amounts of stylized assets, pigs, privately made family products, and sustenances, for example, yam and sago starch so as to host a years long arrangement of elaborate morgue feasts. The feast is a way for the Vanatinai people to communicate with the ancestor spirits. The assets exhibited at the zagaya and at all previous mortuary feast events, including the funeral, are trades between the living and dead. If the feasts is properly done all mourning taboos are clear from individuals
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