The day of the Deads
In Mexico more than a Christian festivity it is a celebration where the Mexican Prehispanic cultures and the Catholic religion mixes, where the Mexican people got to maintain their original antique civilization’s traditions alive.
In this tradition contrasting feelings are mixed, since the pain of loosing a loved one is mixed with a colorful celebration of life and fun.
The festivity of “El Dia de Los Muertos” (Day of the deads) is divided in two basic parts, the first one is “All Saints day” celebrated on November first, and then “El dia de los muertos” that is celebrated on Novermber 2nd.
ALL SAINTS DAY (Nov. 1st.)
In this day it is celebrated the party of All saints that had a morally outstanding life as well as all the dead Children. This celebration is small in comparison with “El Dia de los Muertos”, among the traditions it is used to create an All Saints Altar inside catholic churches and many families use to create altars fro their dead children either inside their homes of on their crypts in the cemetery.
The altars are decorated with papers of many different colors, Flowers Xempasuchil (a special Mexican Flower), and if the altar is for a child, you add its favorite toys and candies.
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (November 2nd)
This day celebrates the biggest festivity on the dead’s day in Mexico. The celebration is filled with many traditions. People likes to go and bring flowers to the tombs of their dead ones but for many others this represents a Huge ritual that starts in really early hours in the Morning of November the 2nd. When many families gather and create altar over the crypts of the beloved ones who have died, these altars have a HUGE meaning since with them, it is believed that you help your loved one to have a good journey during death.
Families spent long hours working in the altar and many of these altars are considered truth master pieces since they reflect the work, dedication, creativity and love of the people for their beloved ones to offer a great Altar. There are many ways to create these Dead’s Altars, the simpler is usually made by people inside their homes, since in a table in their homes covered with a colorful tablecloth they put a photograph of the person who died and they decorate with flowers, candles and some memories.
Other Altars are made according to tradition, where it is established that the Altar must have 7 different levels of steps that represent the 7 levels that the soul of someone who died must transition in order to be able to rest. These altars are generally built in places where there is a big space where the whole thing can be set up, this is space must be swapped with four different aromatic herbs to the four different cardinal points the day before of the day of the dead. First you build or the structure of the altar (with boxes and tables) to be able to make all seven levels solid and strong. The seventh level must be almost to the floor level, over this one you build the sixth level which is a bit smaller than the previous one and you do the other levels the same consequential way until you reach the first level, each step is covered in black and white fabrics. Each step has a meaning and they must contain certain specific objects.
* The first step must have the Saint of Virgin of devotion of the dead person
* The second step is an offer to the souls in the purgatory
* The third step has salt for all the children in purgatory (who were not baptized)
* Fourth has bread called “Pan de Muertos” (bread of dead), this bread is decorated with red sugar that simulates blood, it is recommended that this bread is made by the relatives of the deceased since it is considered a consecration.
* Fifth has the favorite foods and fruits of the dead person
* Sixth has the picture of the dead person whose this altar is dedicated to
* The last one has a crux and a rosary made with Tejocotes(special Mexican fruit) and limes.
The offers that you include in an altar are the following:
You light four main candles shaping up a crux facing it to the four cardinal points, next to the altar, you put a clay pot over a portable stove with aromatic herbs: Albahaca, laurel, romer, chamomile, and some others.
The elements that every altar must have are:
* Chains made out of rice paper in purple and yellow that signify the union between life and dead.
* Colorful “Papel Picado” (Poked paper shaped into different designs) that symbolizes the happiness for life
* The flowers that are the welcome for the soul, the white flower represents heaven, the yellow flower represents heaven and the purple ones represent morn.
* Candles that with their flames it is represents the lift of the spirit to heaven, they also mean light (guidance to the right path)
* White new material that represents purity
* The wax candle (big from churches) that represents the lonely soul
* Copal Incense , since its smoke represents the transition from life to dead
* Corn that represents harvest
* The fruits are the gifts from nature to us, and they are usually sugar canes, oranges, Tejocotes, and Jicamas.
* The sugar skeletons that are a prehispanic tradition
* Pictures of the person to whom this altar belongs to.
* A blessed Christ
* A crux made out of chalk that symbolizes the 4 cardinal points
* Salt so then the body is not corrupted (I need lots of that)
* A path from the main entrance to the altar made with petals from Xempasuchil flowers.
* A stick to liberate our deceased from the devil and the bad spirits
* Personal belongings from the dead person.
People waiting during the night in the tombs of their loved ones waiting for the spirit to come down and enjoy their altar
This celebration changes from place to place in Mexico, f.e. in Oaxaca they create HUGE carpets made with flower petals along the main streets that represent a real art work from its people.
In the afternoon of the 2nd, everybody gathers and have a feast with the meals and goodies in the altar to share that union of life and dead with those ones who have gone ahead of us.
Enjoy!!!
In this tradition contrasting feelings are mixed, since the pain of loosing a loved one is mixed with a colorful celebration of life and fun.
The festivity of “El Dia de Los Muertos” (Day of the deads) is divided in two basic parts, the first one is “All Saints day” celebrated on November first, and then “El dia de los muertos” that is celebrated on Novermber 2nd.
ALL SAINTS DAY (Nov. 1st.)
In this day it is celebrated the party of All saints that had a morally outstanding life as well as all the dead Children. This celebration is small in comparison with “El Dia de los Muertos”, among the traditions it is used to create an All Saints Altar inside catholic churches and many families use to create altars fro their dead children either inside their homes of on their crypts in the cemetery.
The altars are decorated with papers of many different colors, Flowers Xempasuchil (a special Mexican Flower), and if the altar is for a child, you add its favorite toys and candies.
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (November 2nd)
This day celebrates the biggest festivity on the dead’s day in Mexico. The celebration is filled with many traditions. People likes to go and bring flowers to the tombs of their dead ones but for many others this represents a Huge ritual that starts in really early hours in the Morning of November the 2nd. When many families gather and create altar over the crypts of the beloved ones who have died, these altars have a HUGE meaning since with them, it is believed that you help your loved one to have a good journey during death.
Families spent long hours working in the altar and many of these altars are considered truth master pieces since they reflect the work, dedication, creativity and love of the people for their beloved ones to offer a great Altar. There are many ways to create these Dead’s Altars, the simpler is usually made by people inside their homes, since in a table in their homes covered with a colorful tablecloth they put a photograph of the person who died and they decorate with flowers, candles and some memories.
Other Altars are made according to tradition, where it is established that the Altar must have 7 different levels of steps that represent the 7 levels that the soul of someone who died must transition in order to be able to rest. These altars are generally built in places where there is a big space where the whole thing can be set up, this is space must be swapped with four different aromatic herbs to the four different cardinal points the day before of the day of the dead. First you build or the structure of the altar (with boxes and tables) to be able to make all seven levels solid and strong. The seventh level must be almost to the floor level, over this one you build the sixth level which is a bit smaller than the previous one and you do the other levels the same consequential way until you reach the first level, each step is covered in black and white fabrics. Each step has a meaning and they must contain certain specific objects.
* The first step must have the Saint of Virgin of devotion of the dead person
* The second step is an offer to the souls in the purgatory
* The third step has salt for all the children in purgatory (who were not baptized)
* Fourth has bread called “Pan de Muertos” (bread of dead), this bread is decorated with red sugar that simulates blood, it is recommended that this bread is made by the relatives of the deceased since it is considered a consecration.
* Fifth has the favorite foods and fruits of the dead person
* Sixth has the picture of the dead person whose this altar is dedicated to
* The last one has a crux and a rosary made with Tejocotes(special Mexican fruit) and limes.
The offers that you include in an altar are the following:
You light four main candles shaping up a crux facing it to the four cardinal points, next to the altar, you put a clay pot over a portable stove with aromatic herbs: Albahaca, laurel, romer, chamomile, and some others.
The elements that every altar must have are:
* Chains made out of rice paper in purple and yellow that signify the union between life and dead.
* Colorful “Papel Picado” (Poked paper shaped into different designs) that symbolizes the happiness for life
* The flowers that are the welcome for the soul, the white flower represents heaven, the yellow flower represents heaven and the purple ones represent morn.
* Candles that with their flames it is represents the lift of the spirit to heaven, they also mean light (guidance to the right path)
* White new material that represents purity
* The wax candle (big from churches) that represents the lonely soul
* Copal Incense , since its smoke represents the transition from life to dead
* Corn that represents harvest
* The fruits are the gifts from nature to us, and they are usually sugar canes, oranges, Tejocotes, and Jicamas.
* The sugar skeletons that are a prehispanic tradition
* Pictures of the person to whom this altar belongs to.
* A blessed Christ
* A crux made out of chalk that symbolizes the 4 cardinal points
* Salt so then the body is not corrupted (I need lots of that)
* A path from the main entrance to the altar made with petals from Xempasuchil flowers.
* A stick to liberate our deceased from the devil and the bad spirits
* Personal belongings from the dead person.
People waiting during the night in the tombs of their loved ones waiting for the spirit to come down and enjoy their altar
This celebration changes from place to place in Mexico, f.e. in Oaxaca they create HUGE carpets made with flower petals along the main streets that represent a real art work from its people.
In the afternoon of the 2nd, everybody gathers and have a feast with the meals and goodies in the altar to share that union of life and dead with those ones who have gone ahead of us.
Enjoy!!!