thank you for being a friend: September 2010

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de los Muertos) is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and by Mexican Americans living in the United States and Canada.  The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and  remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration  occurs on November 2 in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls,  marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and  visiting graves with these as gifts. Due to occurring shortly after Halloween,  the Day of the Dead is sometimes thought to be a similar holiday,  although the two actually have little in common. The Day of the Dead is a  time of celebration, where partying is common.

Scholars trace the origins of the modern holiday to indigenous observances dating back thousands of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl. In Brazil, Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain,  there are festivals and parades, and, at the end of the day, people  gather at cemeteries and pray for their dead loved ones. Similar  observances occur elsewhere in Europe and in the Philippines, and similarly themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.

Origins

The Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico can be traced back to the indigenous cultures. Rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors have been observed by these civilizations perhaps for as long as 2,500–3,000 years.[1]  In the pre-Hispanic era, it was common to keep skulls as trophies and  display them during the rituals to symbolize death and rebirth.

The festival that became the modern Day of the Dead fell in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, about the beginning of August, and was celebrated for an entire month. The festivities were dedicated to the god[2] known as the "Lady of the Dead", corresponding to the modern Catrina.

In most regions of Mexico, November 1 honors children and infants,  whereas deceased adults are honored on November 2. This is indicated by  generally referring to November 1 mainly as Día de los Inocentes ("Day of the Innocents") but also as Día de los Angelitos ("Day of the Little Angels") and November 2 as Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos ("Day of the Dead").[3]

Beliefs

People go to cemeteries to with the souls of the departed and build  private altars containing the favorite foods and beverages as well as  photos and memorabilia of the departed. The intent is to encourage  visits by the souls, so that the souls will hear the prayers and the  comments of the living directed to them. Celebrations can take a  humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about  the departed.[3]

Plans for the day are made throughout the year, including gathering  the goods to be offered to the dead. During the three-day period,  families usually clean and decorate graves;[2] most visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with ofrendas ("offerings"), which often include orange mexican marigolds (Tagetes erecta) called cempasúchitl (originally named cempoalxochitl, Nahuatl for "twenty flowers").

In modern Mexico, this name is sometimes replaced with the term Flor de Muerto ("Flower of the Dead"). These flowers are thought to attract souls of the dead to the offerings.

Catrinas, one of the most popular figures of the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico

Toys are brought for dead children (los angelitos, or "the little angels"), and bottles of tequila, mezcal or pulque or jars of atole for adults. Families will also offer trinkets or the deceased's favorite candies on the grave. Ofrendas are also put in homes, usually with foods such as candied pumpkin, pan de muerto ("bread of the dead"), and sugar skulls and beverages such as atole. The ofrendas are left out in the homes as a welcoming gesture for the deceased.[2] Some people believe the spirits of the dead eat the "spiritual essence" of the ofrendas  food, so even though the celebrators eat the food after the  festivities, they believe it lacks nutritional value. Pillows and  blankets are left out so that the deceased can rest after their long  journey. In some parts of Mexico, such as the towns of Mixquic, Pátzcuaro and Janitzio, people spend all night beside the graves of their relatives. In many places, people have picnics at the grave site as well.

Some families build altars or small shrines in their homes;[2] these usually have the Christian cross, statues or pictures of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pictures of deceased relatives and other persons, scores of candles and an ofrenda.  Traditionally, families spend some time around the altar, praying and  telling anecdotes about the deceased. In some locations, celebrants wear  shells on their clothing, so that when they dance, the noise will wake  up the dead; some will also dress up as the deceased.

Public schools at all levels build altars with ofrendas,  usually omitting the religious symbols. Government offices usually have  at least a small altar, as this holiday is seen as important to the  Mexican heritage.

Those with a distinctive talent for writing sometimes create short poems, called calaveras ("skulls"), mocking epitaphs  of friends, describing interesting habits and attitudes or funny  anecdotes. This custom originated in the 18th or 19th century, after a  newspaper published a poem narrating a dream of a cemetery in the  future, "and all of us were dead", proceeding to "read" the tombstones. Newspapers dedicate calaveras to public figures, with cartoons of skeletons in the style of the famous calaveras of José Guadalupe Posada, a Mexican illustrator. Theatrical presentations of Don Juan Tenorio by José Zorrilla (1817–1893) are also traditional on this day.

A common symbol of the holiday is the skull (colloquially called calavera), which celebrants represent in masks, called calacas  (colloquial term for "skeleton"), and foods such as sugar or chocolate  skulls, which are inscribed with the name of the recipient on the  forehead. Sugar skulls are gifts that can be given to both the living  and the dead. Other holiday foods include pan de muerto, a sweet egg bread made in various shapes from plain rounds to skulls and rabbits, often decorated with white frosting to look like twisted bones.

José Guadalupe Posada created a famous print of a figure that he called La Calavera de la Catrina ("calavera  of the female dandy") as a parody of a Mexican upper-class female.  Posada's striking image of a costumed female with a skeleton face has  become associated with the Day of the Dead, and Catrina figures often are a prominent part of modern Day of the Dead observances.

Gran calavera eléctrica ("Grand electric skull") by José Guadalupe Posada, 1900-1913

The traditions and activities that take place in celebration of the  Day of the Dead are not universal and often vary from town to town. For  example, in the town of Pátzcuaro on the Lago de Pátzcuaro in Michoacán,  the tradition is very different if the deceased is a child rather than  an adult. On November 1 of the year after a child's death, the godparents set a table in the parents' home with sweets, fruits, pan de muerto,  a cross, a rosary (used to ask the Virgin Mary to pray for them) and  candles. This is meant to celebrate the child's life, in respect and  appreciation for the parents. There is also dancing with colorful  costumes, often with skull-shaped masks and devil masks in the plaza or  garden of the town. At midnight on November 2, the people light candles  and ride winged boats called mariposas (Spanish for  "butterflies") to Janitzio, an island in the middle of the lake where  there is a cemetery, to honor and celebrate the lives of the dead there.

In contrast, the town of Ocotepec, north of Cuernavaca in the State of Morelos, opens its doors to visitors in exchange for veladoras (small wax candles) to show respect for the recently deceased. In return, the visitors receive tamales and atole.  This is only done by the owners of the house where somebody in the  household has died in the previous year. Many people of the surrounding  areas arrive early to eat for free and enjoy the elaborate altars set up  to receive the visitors from Mictlán.

In some parts of the country (especially the cities, where in recent  years there are displaced other customs), children in costumes roam the  streets, knocking on people's doors for a calaverita, a small gift of candies or money; they also ask passersby for it. This custom is similar to that of Halloween's trick-or-treating and is relatively recent.

Some people believe that possessing Day of the Dead items can bring  good luck. Many people get tattoos or have dolls of the dead to carry  with them. They also clean their houses and prepare the favorite dishes  of their deceased loved ones to place upon their altar or ofrenda.

Observances outside Mexico

Day of the Dead altar in Atlanta in memory of Jennifer Ann Crecente, murdered at the age of 18 by her ex-boyfriend 

San Francisco's annual Day of the Dead celebration in Garfield Square

United States

In many American communities with Mexican populations, Day of the  Dead celebrations are held that are very similar to those held in  Mexico. In some of these communities, such as in Texas[4] and Arizona,[5] the celebrations tend to be mostly traditional. For example, the All Souls' Procession has been an annual Tucson  event since 1990. The event combines elements of traditional Day of the  Dead celebrations with those of pagan harvest festivals. People wearing  masks carry signs honoring the dead and an urn in which people can  place slips of paper with prayers on them to be burned.[6]

In other communities, interactions between Mexican traditions and  American culture are resulting in celebrations in which Mexican  traditions are being extended to make artistic or sometimes political  statements. For example, in Los Angeles, California, the Self Help Graphics & Art  Mexican-American cultural center presents an annual Day of the Dead  celebration that includes both traditional and political elements, such  as altars to honor the victims of the Iraq War  highlighting the high casualty rate among Latino soldiers. An updated,  inter-cultural version of the Day of the Dead is also evolving at a  cemetery near Hollywood.[7] There, in a mixture of Mexican traditions and Hollywood hip, conventional altars are set up side-by-side with altars to Jayne Mansfield and Johnny Ramone. Colorful native dancers and music intermix with performance artists, while sly pranksters play on traditional themes.

Similar traditional and inter-cultural updating of Mexican celebrations is occurring in San Francisco, for example, through the Galería de la Raza, SomArts Cultural Center, Mission Cultural Center, de Young Museum and Garfield Square.  Oakland is home to Corazon Del Pueblo in the Fruitvale district.  Corazon Del Pueblo has a shop offering handcrafted Mexican gifts and a  museum devoted to Day of the Dead artifacts.[8] In Missoula, Montana, skeletal celebrants on stilts, novelty bicycles, and skis parade through town.[9]  It also occurs annually at historic Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston's  Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Sponsored by Forest Hills Educational Trust  and the folkloric performance group La Piñata, the Day of the Dead  celebration celebrates the cycle of life and death. People bring  offerings of flowers, photos, mementos, and food for their departed  loved ones, which they place at an elaborately and colorfully decorated  altar. A program of traditional music and dance also accompanies the  community event.

Latin America

Guatemalan celebrations of the Day of the Dead are highlighted by the construction and flying of giant kites[10] in addition to the traditional visits to grave sites of ancestors. A big event also is the consumption of fiambre, which is made only for this day during the year.

In Ecuador, the Day of the Dead is observed to some extent by all parts of society, though it is especially important to the indigenous Kichwa peoples who make up an estimated quarter of the population. Indigena  families gather together in the community cemetery with offerings of  food for a day-long remembrance of their ancestors and lost loved ones.  Ceremonial foods include colada morada, a spiced fruit porridge that derives its deep purple color from the Andean blackberry and purple maize. This is typically consumed with guagua de pan, a bread shaped like a swaddled infant, though variations include horses and pigs—the latter being traditional to the city of Loja. The bread, which is wheat flour-based today but was made with cornmeal in the pre-Columbian era, can be made savory with cheese inside or sweet with a filling of guava paste. These traditions have permeated into mainstream society as well, where food establishments add both colada morada and gaugua de pan  to their menus for the season. Many non-indigenous Ecuadorians partake  in visiting the graves of the deceased and preparing the traditional  foods as well.

The Brazilian public holiday of Finados  (Day of the Dead) is celebrated on November 2. Similar to other Day of  the Dead celebrations, people go to cemeteries and churches with  flowers, candles, and prayer. The celebration is intended to be positive  to celebrate those who are deceased.

In Haiti, voodoo traditions mix with Roman Catholic Day of the Dead observances as, for example, loud drums and music are played at all-night celebrations at cemeteries to waken Baron Samedi, the Loa of the dead, and his mischievous family of offspring, the Gede.

Dia de los ñatitas ("Day of the Skulls") is a festival celebrated in La Paz, Bolivia, on November 9. In pre-Columbian  times, indigenous Andeans had a tradition of sharing a day with the  bones of their ancestors on the third year after burial; however, only  the skulls are used today. Traditionally, the skull of one or more  family members are kept at home to watch over the family and protect  them during the year. On November 9, the family crowns the skull with  fresh flowers, sometimes also dressing it up in various garments, and  makes offerings of cigarettes, coca leaves, alcohol, and various other  items in thanks for the year's protection. The skulls are also sometimes  taken to the central cemetery in La Paz for a special Mass and  blessing.[11][12][13]

Europe

In many countries with a Roman Catholic heritage, All Saints Day and All Souls Day  have long been holidays in which people take the day off work, go to  cemeteries with candles and flowers, and give presents to children,  usually sweets and toys.[14] In Portugal and Spain, ofrendas ("offerings") are made on this day. In Spain, the play Don Juan Tenorio is traditionally performed. In Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Ireland, people bring flowers to the graves of dead relatives and say prayers over the dead. In Poland,[15] Slovakia,[16] Hungary,[17] Lithuania,[18] Croatia,[19] Slovenia,[20] Romania,[21] Austria, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Finland, the tradition is to light candles and visit the graves of deceased relatives. In Tyrol, cakes are left for them on the table, and the room kept warm for their comfort. In Brittany,  people flock to the cemeteries at nightfall to kneel, bareheaded, at  the graves of their loved ones and to anoint the hollow of the tombstone with holy water or to pour libations of milk on it. At bedtime, the supper is left on the table for the souls.[22]

A Mexican-style Day of the Dead has been celebrated in Prague, Czech Republic,  as part of a promotion by the Mexican embassy. Local citizens join in a  celebration of the Day of the Dead put on by a theatre group with  masks, candles, and sugar skulls.[23]

Asia and Oceania

Flowers, including Mexican marigolds, used in the celebration of the Day of the Dead

In the Philippines, the holiday is Araw ng mga Patay ("Day of the Dead"), Todos Los Santos or Undas  (the latter two due to the fact that this holiday is celebrated on  November 1, All Saints Day) and has more of a "family reunion"  atmosphere.[24]  Tombs are cleaned or repainted, candles are lit, and flowers are  offered. Entire families camp in cemeteries and sometimes spend a night  or two near their relatives' tombs. Card games, eating, drinking,  singing and dancing are common activities in the cemetery. It is  considered a very important holiday by many Filipinos (after Christmas and Holy Week), and additional days are normally given as special non-working holidays (but only November 1 is a regular holiday).

Mexican-style Day of the Dead celebrations can also be found in Wellington, New Zealand, complete with altars celebrating the deceased with flowers and gifts.[25]

Other similar traditions

Many other cultures around the world have similar traditions of a day  set aside to visit the graves of deceased family members. Often  included in these traditions are celebrations, food and beverages, in  addition to prayers and remembrances of the departed.

The Bon Festival (O-bon (お盆?) or only Bon (盆?) is a Japanese Buddhist holiday to honor the departed spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist festival has evolved into a family reunion  holiday during which people from the big cities return to their  hometowns and visit and clean their ancestors' graves. Traditionally  including a dance festival, it has existed in Japan for more than 500 years. This holiday is three days in August.

In Korea, Chuseok  (추석, 秋夕) is a major traditional holiday, also called Hangawi. People go  where the spirits of one's ancestors are enshrined and perform ancestral worship  rituals early in the morning; they visit the tombs of immediate  ancestors to trim plants, clean the area around the tomb, and offer  food, drink, and crops to their ancestors.

The Ching Ming Festival (simplified Chinese: 清明节; traditional Chinese: 清明節; pinyin: qīng míng jié) is a traditional Chinese festival usually occurring around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar. Along with Double Ninth Festival on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese calendar,  it is a time to tend to the graves of departed ones. In addition, in  the Chinese tradition, the seventh month in the Chinese calendar is  called the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits come out from the underworld to visit earth.

During the Nepali holiday of Gai Jatra  ("Cow Pilgrimage"), every family who has lost a family member during  the previous year makes a construction of bamboo branches, cloth, paper  decorations and portraits of the deceased, called a gai.  Traditionally, a cow leads the spirits of the dead into the next land.  Depending on local custom, either an actual live cow or a construct  representing a cow may be used. The festival is also a time to dress up  in costume, including costumes involving political comments and satire.[26]

In some cultures in Africa,  visits to the graves of ancestors, the leaving of food and gifts, and  the asking of protection serve as important parts of traditional  rituals. One example of this is the ritual that occurs just before the  beginning of hunting season.[27]

In some tribes of the Amazon, they believe that the dead return as flowers rather than butterflies.

In popular culture

Literature

The novel Under the Volcano (1947) by Malcolm Lowry takes place on this day in a fictionalized Cuernavaca, Morelos.
Ray Bradbury's novel The Halloween Tree (1972) includes an explanation of the holiday as part of a greater worldwide tradition and features a Mexican sugar skull as a plot device.
The character of Death in the novel Candy Skulls by McKenzie Maclaine refers to Day of the Dead being the only time when death is honored instead of feared.
Barbara Hambly's novel Days Of The Dead (2003) climaxes on this day in 1835.

Film

The film Once Upon a Time in Mexico, directed by Robert Rodriguez, takes place in the days leading up to the Day of the Dead, culminating in numerous acts of violence on the holiday itself.
The Tim Burton film Corpse Bride (2005) shows a scene where town people are surprised to discover their deceased loved ones among calaca-like characters and thus take the opportunity to reunite again and have a family moment with the departed. This is reminiscent to similar beliefs that are the basis for the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration.
The movie Assassins has a scene that takes place during a Day of the Dead procession crossing the streets of San Juan, but this is inaccurate since the procession is not celebrated in Puerto Rico.
The film The Crow: City of Angels takes place in a fictionalized version of Los Angeles during the Day of the Dead celebration. Sugar skulls and tribute altars are referenced, and the film's climax takes place during a large Day of the Dead street party.

Day of the Dead display in Ocotepec, a town outside of Cuernavaca

Television

The first episode of the Adult Swim series The Venture Bros., "Dia de Los Dangerous!", takes place on this day. Hank and Dean Venture purchase sombreros and sugar skulls, and then Hank describes the events to their father, who has just given a lecture to a very small audience, due in part to the holiday.
The Nicktoons Network animated series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, has an episode dedicated to the Day of the Dead, "The Grave Escape," in which Manny and Frida, after ridiculing the celebration and eating Manny's ancestor's ofrendas, discover that Sartana of the Dead has summoned an army consisting of the dead that had been forgotten. During their fight with the enraged beings, the two are transported into the Land of the Dead, where they meet Manny's ancestors.

Games

The computer game Grim Fandango (1998) relies heavily on Day of the Dead imagery, with most characters resembling calaca-like figurines. The plot spans four consecutive years from one November 2nd to another.
The computer game World of Warcraft added in 2009 an in-game event with the same name and similar unique items related to this celebration, only accessible between November 1 and 2.
In the video game LittleBigPlanet, one of the arcs of the main storyline has a Day of the Dead theme. Oddly, this arc is set in South America rather than in Mexico.

via wikipedia - to view link go <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead">here</a>.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

tonight's meeting

Thursday, September 9, 2010

not everyone goes tradtional

inspiration cake

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

our ground dilema?

some inspiration...

others think so too...

what is day of the dead / dia de los muertos? (via wiki)

Origins

Beliefs

Observances outside Mexico

United States

Latin America

Europe

Asia and Oceania

Other similar traditions

In popular culture

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