Day Of The Dead Essay Example For Students

Day Of The Dead Essay Imagine yourself in a cemetery, commemorating your great-grandpa. Dia De LosMuertos (The Day of the Dead) is celebrated in Mexico on November 2nd. The Dayof the Dead is one of Mexicos traditional holidays reuniting and honoringbeloved ancestors, family, and friends. To begin, the historical roots of thiscelebration date back to the pre-Hispanic cultures of Meso-America of theindigenous people, especially the Nahua (Aztecs, Mayans, Toltecas, Tlaxcaltec,Chichimec, Tecpanec) and others native to Mexico more than 3,000 years ago. Lifewas seen as a dream. It was believed that only in dying, a human being was trulyawake. Death was not a mysterious and fearful presence but a realisticrecognizable character as much a part of life as life itself. When Christianitywas introduced in the 16th century, religion and its symbols became part of thealtars we now find in Mexico today. November 1st, All Saints Day, is when thespirits of the children, called los angelitos (little angels), areexpected to return. Traditionally, it is a time when family members sharememorable stories that would commemorate their lives together. Secondly, thereare many items that people do to celebrate the Day of the Dead. On November 2,family members clean and perhaps paint the headstones, arrange flowers, andlighting candles. Mexican families construct special home altars dedicated tothe spirits of their deceased loved ones. The altars range from simple to thevery elaborate and are usually filled with objects that provided pleasure to thedeparted person in life, including favorite food and drink. Altars dedicated tothe spirits of deceased children often include toys, candy and other sweets. Ithink that building alters for the dead is a good concept. They teach theyounger generations about the past, as well as commemorate the dead. No matterwhat kind of a person was, everyone leaves behind a legend. Some books, forexample, are biographies, praising and telling about a person in the past orpresent. Like a book, the alters tell the history of a person. The alters tell astory of the dead individual. Alters tell the age, their likes, and manyother interesting facts about the dead individuals life. I think that thesealters compensate the work of an earlier generation. The altars or ofrendasas they are called, also usually contain objects made from sugar or sugarsculpture known as alfenique. These objects may be small animals,such as lambs, miniature plates of food (enchiladas with mole), small coffins,often with pop-up skeletons, and of course, the sugar skull or calavera.The skulls are made by pouring a mixture of boiling water, confectioners sugarand lime into clay molds, which have been previously soaked in water. Thecalaveras are decorated with paper foil for eyes and a kind of colored icing forhair. Names can be added to the skull and Mexican children often exchange namedskulls with their friends. I think that the skeleton represents the spirit stillliving after it has left its flesh on this earth. The spirit of an individuallives on forever. Ofrendas often include papel picado or Mexicancut-paper. Papel picado has a long folk tradition in Mexico and the little townof San Salvador Huixcolotla, in the state of Puebla, is known for its fine cutpaper. Although papel picado is used as a decoration for many festive occasionssuch as weddings and baptisms, papel picado with themes relating to Day of theDead is also very popular. The Mexican papel picado is similar to origami.Although origami is folded, it too has spiritual meaning. In conclusion, I thinkthat Dias De Los Muertos is important for the family to maintain goodrelationships with the dead for it is they who intercede and bring food fortuneto the living. It is a time to come to terms with our mortality and become awareof cycle of life and death. The Day of the Dead is a day for honoring arebeloved ones.