A Festivity of Remembrance for Departed Loved Ones

If you really want to know something about the traditions and culture of Mexico, you should experience the Day of the Dead. This festivity begins on the evening of November 1st (All Saints Day for western Christianity) and ends on November 2nd (All Souls Day).

For the most vivid of these celebrations, you should go to Morelia, above all to the island of Janitzio, in Pátzcuaro Lake. You also should see the Day of the Dead celebrations in Tzintzuntzan, the ancient capital of the Purepechan people; Jaráuraro and Erongaricuaro.

Also famous are the celebrations in Mixquic, once a farming island of the Aztec empire and now a district of Mexico City; Oaxaca, capital city of the state of the same name; Huejutla, in the state of Hidalgo; Chiapa de Corzo, in the state of Chiapas, Jesús María, in the state of Nayarit; and Tecate, in the state of Baja California.

Actually, you can find very interesting celebrations of this festivity in every part of Mexico. It is certain that when you see any of the celebrations with your own eyes, you will have a unique and unforgettable experience to treasure.

We should remember the Day of the Dead is not viewed by Mexicans as a period of grief for the faithful departed, but 24 hours of joyful remembrance of loved ones who have passed away.

Moreover, people in Mexico expect the spirits of their beloved dead ones to pay them a holiday visit. To encourage these visits, they prepare colorful decorations, the favorite foods and drinks of the departed ones including a traditional sweet bread with crossed bones and sugar skulls and tombs, all part of a commemorative altar placed in the home to celebrate the lively reunions.

Because of the tradition, from mid-October through the first week of November, markets all over Mexico sell papel picado (intricate colorful paper cut-outs), crosses and wreaths decorated with paper of silk flowers, particularly of the yellow-orange cempasúchi, the Mexican marigold.

But the real party is at the family burial plot in the local cemetery where Mexicans decorate the graves of their deceased relatives with colorful crosses and wreaths formed of Mexican marigold petals and photos and memorabilia of the departed ones.

The family members gather at the cemetery for gravesite reunions that are more festive than somber. They remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed and bring their favorite food, tequila for toasting and sometimes, even a mariachi band.

Merchants set up provisional stands outside the cemetery gates to sell food and drinks until the fireworks announce the commencement of an open-air memorial mass, the most solemn interlude of this occasion that scholars trace to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl, The Lady of the Dead.

To learn more about the Day of the Dead, please visit: http://www.palomar.edu/multicultural/DiadelosMuertos/