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Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) tradition

Since pre-Hispanic times, in Mexico we have beliefs about what death is. For the Aztecs, when a person reached the underworld (called Mictlan for them), when they were buried, it was not only with objects and food that they were going to use for the other dimension, but they were also accompanied by Xoloescuintles. These dogs would serve as guides on the way from leaving this plane to communicating with the Underworld. It is an endemic breed of dog from Mexico.

In the book of Popol Vuh (highly recommended that you read it before you go to the Riviera Maya, it is translated into many languages) it speaks Xibalba, which is the Mayan hell.

An icon of this season is precisely the Cempasúchitl flower. This flower is part of the offerings. It is also endemic to Mexico, and although they tried to replicate it in China, the original is much better.

Ofrendas (Altars)

As part of the mix between the fusion of pre-Hispanic traditions and culture and that of the conquerors, an offering is made for our dead. The legend says that on the first day of November the children who are not with us come down from the underworld, and on the second day all the rest, as are the adults. Lately it has become fashionable that our pets too.

As part of the ritual, a photo of the deceased is placed, a candle that will guide him back to his old homes and his favorite foods in life, such as fruit, his favorite alcoholic drink, stew. In addition, you should put flowers of Cempasuchitl, Sweet calaveritas, Papel picado (minced paper), water and without forgetting the Pan de Muerto (Bread of Death), personally it is one of my tastiest breads. As these days pass, you can eat such foods, but you will realize that they will not have much flavor, realizing that this tradition is not just a myth.

Calaveritas and Catrina

The catrina is the representation of death for Mexicans. La flaca, la calaca, la huesuda, was created by Guadalupe Posada and remastered by the painter Diego Rivera in his mural of Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central that you can visit at the Museo Mural de Diego. This particular representation is born as a criticism of Mexicans of indigenous origin who pretend to be or dress as Europeans. The catrín has been called a man who has a good demeanor and presence, in a suit and generally with a hat with a bird's feather.

La catrina is a satire of death as he picks up important or famous people and takes them to his chambers. As part of this satire, the Calaveritas are literary works where this character is of course included as he leads people through rhymes, Mexican elements and a touch of humor. At the same time, it is such a particular legacy of us as Mexicans that we delight in reading the creativity of the artists when narrating the passage of the Catrina through the souls of these people. Example of Calaverita in Spanish: "Calaverita for COVID-19"

Este año dos mil veinte
de tantas tribulaciones
la muerte quizás encuentre
llenos no pocos panteones.

Debe andarse con cuidado,
el COVID está muy fuerte,
pues si pesca un resfriado
en cama estará por suerte.

Con gel se frota los huesos,
frente al cráneo un cubrebocas,
y decía muchos rezos
para no empeorar las cosas.

Como cuarentena ha habido
la gente en casa se queda,
fácil su labor no ha sido
mientras el virus no ceda.

Llegó a una casa muy fea
con una tremenda fiesta,
la puerta fuerte golpea,
sale un tipo y contesta:

“Sé bien que intentas llevarme
mas esto no te hará gracia
ya que no puedes tocarme
respeta sana distancia.”

Photo Credits

Referencias

• La calavera Catrina. Wikipedia. Last seen October 27, 2022. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Calavera_Catrina
• Calavera por el Covid-19. Calaveras Literarias. Last seen October 27, 2022. Source: https://www.calaveras-literarias.com/calaveras-dia-de-muertos/calavera-por-covid-19/

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