Every year on November 1-2 in Mexico they celebrate the Day of the Dead. It is a national holiday, a Mexican tradition that represents the connection between the old and new worlds, between the dead and the living. These days it is customary to remember the dead, invite them to your home and honor them. Since 2008, UNESCO has included the Mexican Day of the Dead on its list of the World Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The holiday is famous for its folk festivals, processions and carnivals, all kinds of images of Katrina, a large number of flowers and sugar skulls, and this is what attracts the guests of the powers to it. At the same time, the Day of the Dead also has purely personal, family traditions that are invisible to the prying eye.
Offerings to the dead — an indispensable element of the holiday. Relatives share their favorite food and drinks with the deceased, and by performing this ritual, they seem to meet together. An improvised altar is built in each house, decorated with flowers and gifts for the deceased. Photos of deceased relatives are placed on the altar, candles are lit, and the souls of the dead return to where they were once loved.
The altar on the Day of the Dead has ten indispensable attributes, which we will tell you about.
White tablecloth and salt
The color of the tablecloth and salt means purity and joy of meeting. Salt also serves to ensure that the body of the deceased is preserved on the journey from the world of the dead to the world of the living and back.
Water
Offering fresh water to the dead — one of the key elements of their meeting. On the difficult journey of the dead to our world, water will quench their thirst. Water also symbolizes purity; in it the soul can be cleansed.
Lights and candles
Candle flame — it is light, faith and hope. This is a guide for the dead, showing them the way to their former home. The number of candles lit on the altar depends on the number of souls you want to invite into your home. The more candles, the better.
In some cases, candles may be made of purple or dark wax, symbolizing mourning. In addition, candles can be displayed in the form of a cross so that the soul returning home can orient itself according to the cardinal directions.
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Copal and Cruz de Ceniza
Kopal — natural resin like amber from tropical trees. Copal or just incense, when burned, releases aromatic substances designed to cleanse the house of «bad vibes» and evil spirits before the return of loved ones. Indians have always used copal during prayers and praise to the gods.
The cross of ashes (Cruz de Ceniza) serves to ensure that the soul reaches the altar and can atone for its unfinished sins. If the soul is located in purity, the cross has the ability to help it get out of there. The cross is drawn on a handful of ashes sprinkled on the altar, in other cases it is applied with ashes to the forehead of a relative.
Calaveritas
Calaveritas — these are symbolic human skulls made of sugar and brightly decorated. In recent years, calaveritas have increasingly been made from colored amaranth seeds. Skulls remind us that death is always nearby. The little ones are dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and the big ones honor the «Eternal Father», God.
Mesoamerican cultures took the skulls of sacrificed captives and lined them up in honor of the gods, an altar called a tzompantli. Calaveritas belong specifically to this Indian tradition.
Carved napkins and rugs
Papel picado — a traditional Mexican craft, delicately cut rugs and napkins with intricate designs from thin paper. Rugs symbolize celebration, and are also used by the dead for breathing. Rugs also serve as small tablecloths on which various items are placed on the altar of the dead.
Sometimes paper mats are replaced with silk or satin ones, and clay figurines, censers, or clean clothes intended for the deceased are laid out on them.
Itzcuintle
Itzcuintle — This is a Mexican Hairless Dog, the pre-Hispanic ancestor of the modern Xoloitzcuintle breed. Itzcuintli also means «divine dog» or just «dog».
Dog figurines — a mandatory attribute of the altar dedicated to deceased children. These are toys; after seeing the souls of children, they will joyfully come to the altar. Itzcuintli helps souls cross the Chiconahhuapan River, the final frontier on the way to Mictlan, the underworld of the Mexican Indians.
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Flowers
Flowers — it is always a symbol of the holiday. With their beautiful and strong aroma they will decorate the house where the soul of the deceased will come. These are bright orange marigolds, or sempasuchil, as their color symbolizes the sun and guides the soul of the deceased into the home.
White flowers in the shape of a cloud are placed on the altar for children because they represent the purity and innocence of the little ones.
Food, drink and bread of the dead
Food is meant to please the dead. They are remembered and revered and therefore treated to their favorite dishes. In addition, adults can be offered alcoholic drinks and cigarettes so that the deceased can happily remember the happy moments they lived. Deceased children are offered traditional sweets made from sugar, amaranth or pumpkin.
The bread of the dead (pan de muerto) symbolizes human sacrifice, and this symbol comes from pre-Hispanic culture. In addition, the deceased are treated to chocolate drinks. According to Indian beliefs, it is customary to treat guests with liquid chocolate — the soul of the deceased was purified in water, and therefore everyone who drinks such a chocolate drink is saturated with the essence of the deceased.
Portraits
The photograph of a loved one on the altar indicates that the offerings are intended for him. According to tradition, the portrait must be hidden so that it can only be seen in the mirror. This is a symbol of the fact that there is an opportunity to see a person even though there is more of him. Today, portraits of deceased relatives are often simply placed on altars.
In addition, images of saints have the right to be placed on the altar as a connecting link between the world of the living and the dead. The images of saints also symbolize peace in the house and the fact that the whole family is back together and allowed to start eating.