Trinity Hills SPN101-U2 Spring Session Synthesis Task Module 6 Day of the Dead
Features:
Magazine
History Traditions
Food and Decore
Symbols of the Dead
Dia Los Muertos Facts
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History of Day of the Dead
Dia de los Muertos, is celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of November. November 1st is often called DÃa de los Inocentes or Angelitos since it is reserved for honoring deceased children, while the 2nd is for deceased adults. While the idea of celebrating death might seem a tad morbid in many societies, in Mexico it’s quite the opposite; death is not the end, it’s just a new beginning. This day derived from the rituals of the pre hispanic people of Mexico. Led by the goddess Mictecacihuatl, known as “Lady of the Dead,†the celebration lasted a month. After the Spanish arrived in Mexico and began converting the Natives to Roman Catholicism, the holiday was moved to coincide with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day out of respect.
Brief History
Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, specifically the Central and South regions and is also celebrated in many other cultures. Originally, the Day of the Dead wasn't a national holiday that was regularly celebrated in Mexico because people celebrated different traditions such as the Catholics and “All Saints Dayâ€, however, this changed when the Mexican government made Dia De Muertos , a national holiday based on educational policies that were made. It is also believed that on the night of October 31st, gates to the other world are opened for the spirits of the deceased children to join their families to reunite for the days of the celebration. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who’ve died and help support their spiritual journey.
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"Dia De Los Muertos!"
Folk Art and Traditions
Tradiciones
The Day of the Dead altars are the most prominent feature in the celebration because they show the souls the way to their home. Altars make the souls feel welcomed and show them they have not been forgotten.
The creation of this Mexican culture derived from the pre Columbian cultures and took on many of the folk art and traditions that this holiday consists of today, even though most of the art and creations are destroyed by the end of the festival. For example, the paper cut outs used to decorate the altars in which is similar to the Aztec paper banners. The altars or ofrendas, which is one of the most important traditions, are made and decorated with buckets of flowers, candles, fruit, peanuts, tortillas and bread called pan de muerto. These altars are not made for the people though, they are specifically made for the spirits. Another tradition that is practiced the day prior to Day of the Dead is the embellishes and finishing touches of the tombs of their loved ones. The vigil lasts until dawn and consists of music, food, and drinks at the graveyard.
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Toys and candies are left for the younger spirits and cigarettes and shots of Mezcal are offered to the adult spirits. In Spain, you will find people going to cemeteries to be with the soul of the departed while prayers are said over the dead. Also, the play “Don Juan Tenorio†is traditionally performed. It is only in Mexico in which it is more of a colorful celebration than a ceremony where there are events with masks, candles, and sugar skulls that take place in remembrance of their families. 

Historically, Dia de los Muertos altars are made up of some combination of the following items: Saints that are important to the particular family, as well as photos of loved ones who have died, lit candles, usually of beeswax or parafin, pan de muertos (represents the souls of the dead the essence or soul of the bread is consumed by the dead when they visit their loved ones), sweets, mole, flowers, and yellow marigolds. 

The Aztecs developed the ritual some 3,000 years ago because they believed one should not grieve the loss of a beloved ancestor who passed. Instead, the Aztecs celebrated their lives and welcomed the return of their spirits to the land of the living once a year. That's where the food, drink and music offerings come in. The ancestor's favorite meals are placed on the altar as offerings. For example; Tamales are served. Tamales are made from corn-based dough, wrapped in cornhusk, then steamed. Pan De Muertos: is semisweet breads are baked in the shape of bones, and dusted with sugar. They're also meant to represent the soil. Seeds: Pumpkin seeds or amaranth seeds are offered as snacks for the visiting ancestral spirit. In pre-Columbian times, Aztecs used amaranth seeds instead of sugar to make the skulls. Objects symbolizing the four elements of nature: earth, wind, water, and fire. These are represented by movable or light-weight items such as papel picado (wind,) a bowl of water, candles (fire) and food (crops, earth.)
Food and Decore
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Alcohol: Bottles are offered to toast the arrival of the ancestors. In pre-Columbian times, a beverage made from sap of maguey or agave plant was reserved for special spiritual ceremonies. Today, any alcoholic beverage favored by the dead can be used to toast. Papel Picado: Delicately decorated tissue paper represents wind and the fragility of life. Dogs and Candles: Dogs were believed to guide the ancestral spirits to their final resting place in the afterlife. Candles represent fire and are a light guiding them back to visit the land of the living. Photographs: Images of loved ones who have died are placed on the altar. Monarch butterfly: These butterflies, which migrate to Mexico each fall, were believed to be the spirits of the ancestors coming to visit. Religious items such as crucifixes, rosaries, and statues or pictures of saints (especially ones to which the deceased were devoted).
Days or even weeks before Muertos, a prominent space in each family’s house is cleaned up and the usual furniture is removed to make room for the altar. The altar consists of, at a minimum, a covered table or clearly demarcated space on the floor; often a few crates or boxes are added to it and covered to create open shelves and other raised display areas. The altar decorations and coverings can be made of cloth, paper, plastic, or natural materials, and vary widely from plain white to vibrant colors and intricate patterns. The main colors of the season are bright purple, pink, orange, and yellow.
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Simbolos de los Muertos
The Day of the Dead is a unique, Mexican celebration, a cultural festival resembling Halloween in many ways, but with more cultuiral and spiritual meaning. The holiday combines elements of Catholicism with ancient Aztec symbolism, and honors the spirits of departed ancestors and loved ones who are believed to return to earth to join in the celebrations. Calaveras (skulls) are probably the most recognizable emblems of the Day of the Dead . In most cases, calaveras are depicted in humorous settings, like scenes depicting traditional activities. The Calaveras are often accompanied by mocking “epitaphs†of people living and deceased, in the form of satirical poems. Another example of a symbol for this day are Sugar skulls. A common rendition of the Calaveras come in the form of sugar skulls, decorated confections of sugar and egg whites which are exchanged as gifts or incorporated into offrendas.
Symbols of Day of the Dead
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Another example are Offrendas. Perhaps the most serious emblem of the holiday is the Offrenda, an altar honoring the dead. Offrendas are most often created in honor of one’s ancestors or loved ones, and contain a number of traditional elements. Moreover, another key element and symbol to this day is the marigold flower. The marigold flower is used to honor the dead. It is yellow and represents life and hope. These flowers are often used in the altars and graveyards. Lastly, the calacas. Like Calaveras, Calacas are mischievous renditions of skeletal firgures. Calacas include paper mache skull masks and figurines of popular calaveras, such as Catrina. They are popular items for tourists to purchase as souvenirs. Calacas are sometimes adorned with the names of the deceased.
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Facts on Day of the Dead
What do sugar skulls, marigolds and monarch butterflies have in common? Just like pumpkins, witches and black cats are quintessential symbols of Halloween, these objects are associated with a different holiday: DÃa de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. It's not the same as Halloween. While Halloween is celebrated Oct. 31, DÃa de los Muertos is celebrated right after, on Nov. 2. Many communities that celebrate DÃa de los Muertos also celebrate Halloween. It originated in Mexico and Central America. DÃa de los Muertos originated in ancient Mesoamerica where indigenous groups, including Aztec, Maya and Toltec, had specific times when they commemorated their loved ones who had passed away. Certain months were dedicated to remembering the departed, based on whether the deceased was an adult or a child. It's a celebration of life, not death. Ancient Mesoamericans believed that death was part of the journey of life. Rather than death ending life, they believed that new life came from death.
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Day of the Dead Magazine