By Joeelle Beale
Echo Staff Reporter
Losing a family member or friend can be a difficult and challenging time. For some, a lot of grieving occurs. To others, it is sad but also a happy time. Their loved ones’ lives might have ended, but they went to good places in the afterlife. And they’ll still be there in that person’s heart.
Día de Los Muertos, otherwise known as Day of the Dead, is a holiday that occurs in Mexico. The main theme of this holiday is honoring ancestors that have passed on. It is a joyful celebration.
How did this holiday begin, though? How do they honor their family? That can be seen through their past and modern-day traditions.
The first part of their past begins with the Aztecs. They lived in the country of Mexico and worshipped many gods with their temples. One of them is the goddess of the dead, Mictecacihuatl. She was the guardian of the festivals for the dead. There were many myths about this goddess. For example, one story tells about how she collected the bones of the dead and handed them to the other gods, who would redistribute them all over the land and produce new races of humans. To thank her, she was brought offerings for the humans’ ability to be safe in the underworld, according to by Austin Cline, author of “Learn Religions.”
Once the Spaniards came to Mexico in 1521, they brought their Catholic traditions of All Soul’s Day. It celebrated the memories of family and friends who had passed away but served as a tool to remind the rest of the living to live good moral lives. They would have masses that would help the dead, the living relatives, and the pope to reach heaven. As a result, they would be purified before their spirit had to have their lives judged for their sins, according to The Holiday Spot website.
When they met the Aztecs, the Spaniards did not agree with their beliefs and changed their holiday to become the same All Soul’s Day. Today, the Mexicans have transformed it to be their own holiday, with a combination of Aztecs and Catholic traditions, according to the Day of the Dead website.
Some of those traditions include food, ofrendas (altars), and many more. The food they have is tamales, Pan de Muertos (a dead bread), moles, and sugar skulls. The ofrendas are altars that contain pictures of family members that have passed on and are very colorful. They also have water, favorite foods, and flowers to honor that relative.
Another tradition includes marigold leaves. It is believed by some that they help the soul return to the underworld by their bright yellow and orange color.
Another tradition is the La Catrinas. This where a person might see painted skulls on their face with flowers painted on it. This holiday contains very important themes of honor and living the best life a person can do, as seen with the traditions of this holiday.
For those who celebrate the Day of the Dead, it’s not about moving forward in life. For these individuals, time passes, and even though a person might lose someone, it does not mean that they just fade from memory. They believe their lost loved ones never leave and will be in their hearts for a long time.