#DayOfTheDead (Spanish: #DíaDeMuertos) is a Mexican holiday observed throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. In 2008 the tradition was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico where the day is a bank holiday. The celebration takes place on October 31, November 1 and November 2, in connection with the triduum of Allhallowtide: All Hallows Eve, Hallowmas, and All Souls Day. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased. Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. The holiday has spread throughout the world. Originally, the Day of the Dead as such was not celebrated in northern Mexico, where it was even unknown until the 20th century. The tradition was rejected by people and the church in northeastern Mexico because they perceived it as an attempt to syncretize pagan elements with religion, and instead held the traditional All Saints Day the same way as the rest of the Catholics in the world. This is due to the limited or nonexistent Mesoamerican influence in this region. However, in present day northern Mexico, Día de Muertos is observed because of the Mexican government introduction of the holiday through educational policies from the 1960s and their efforts to expand the tradition in the north of the country. In Brazil, Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain, festivals and parades are frequently held and people often gather at cemeteries and pray for their deceased loved ones at the end of the day. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 18:59:48 +0000
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