1.- It is called "Day of the Dead" because, as its name indicates, it is meant to be a celebration of those who have passed away, and not death itself.
2.- Contrary to what one might think in other parts of the world, this ritual of remembering the dead is not meant to escalate feelings of sadness or fear of death,
nor is it a cult, and nor does it invoke dead spirits. It is a happy festivity to remember those who have passed away and at least once a year celebrate the life they lived, and share the same food that they once shared with us in life.
3.- Some of the rituals have been celebrated for 3 thousand years by civilizations such as the Aztec, Maya, Purepecha, Nahuatl, and Totonaca.
4.- It is a mesoamerican tradition that was typically celebrated in August, the 9th month of the Aztec calender, until the Spanish arrived to conquer the new world.
5.- For natives, death is a continuation of life, and the end of a dream whereby one truly awakens. This belief is in stark contrast to what Europeans thought of death- the end of life.
6.- This is why Spanish colonizers tried to eliminate the ritual which they considered barbaric and pagan, but their efforts did not come through so they decided to move the holiday to coincide with similar catholic holidays: Day of the Faithful Departed and All Saints Day.
7.- According to the current tradition, the souls of children return on November 1st, and while that of adults return on the 2nd of each month.
8.- Mexicans celebrate this day by adorning alters with food and items of meaning to the departed person, as well as some items that will allow them to go on their journey at the end of the day such as candles to light the way and water to quench their thirst, and a dog to guide them on their journey.
9.- Some of the most emblematic items are, of course Catrinas, sugar skulls, pan de muertos, and cempasuchitl flowers.
10.- Around the world, these symbols have become inspiration for other cultures to adopt and create their own artwork. Art with Mexican spirit, such as in the U.S. where a person named Spencer Tunick staged a photographic session with more than one hundred nude Mexican women.
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"It was a celebration of live, death, and peace (…) paying tribute to the body and the time we have on this earch" said Tunick.
Elizabeth.rosales@sandiegored.com
