What if death was not the end, but only the beginning of a new journey? While the latter is associated with many countries with infinite sadness and modesty, we decided to fly to the country where death comes to life. Colourful and present for more than 3000 years in Mexican culture, the Feast of the Dead is an event as intriguing as it is unmissable. We deliver you the secrets of this wonderful celebration inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
In order to understand the origin of this ancestral festival, we must go back to the Aztec civilization that used to celebrate its dead twice a year through great feasts and offerings. The first time in honour of the deceased children and then twenty days later for adults. Although this civilization experienced its decline with the Spanish colonization, this tradition has endured over time and has become a cultural mix since the official date became the same as the Christians, November 1.
Unlike other countries, in Mexico, there is a certain fascination with death, and even a great beauty in it. In fact, Mexicans celebrate the return of their deceased loved ones to earth with dignity, and this for 3 days, as if they were returning home to celebrate every year. Depending on the regions and villages of the country, the rituals are more or less precise and can extend over a few extra days. Tradition has it that the 31st and 1st of November are dedicated to children called "angelitos" while the night of the 1st and the day of the 2nd of November are dedicated to adults. There are also celebrations of Dia de Muertos in the southwestern United States thanks to its Hispanic population.
How this festival unfolds
If this festival surprises so much in the world, it is undoubtedly for the joy it gives off. Dia de Muertos is a real explosion of colours, flowers, songs, but also dances and fireworks all over the country. Among the most emblematic figures of this celebration is the Catarina, which by extension has become the symbol of Mexican culture in the world.
Tradition has it that the streets are decorated with heads of the dead called Calaveras, but also to erect altars at home in honour of the dead. An altar worthy of the ancestral custom consists of 7 floors that represent the 7 stages that the soul must encounter before reaching peace. The base of the altar includes the favourite dishes of the dead, but also beer and tequila or sweets in the shape of a skull and crossbones for children. Afterwards, incense is set out to ward off evil spirits, but also paper skeleton decorations that are found a lot on this occasion. On the fourth floor come the candles, white for children and orange for adults, as well as the cempasuchil, an orange flower equivalent to the chrysanthemum in western countries. The Calaveras with the name of the dead person written on the forehead are installed and then finally personal objects in memory of the person. The 7th floor and top of the altar consists of a photo of the person. This tradition is perceived as a real duty on the part of the inhabitants, because for them, the dead can be the cause of good luck or misfortune, hence the interest of honouring them with dignity.
Beyond the decorations in the streets and the altars that bloom everywhere, large festive meals are organized where families and friends get together to enjoy delicious Mexican food and victuals, dishes that their deceased loved. At the same time, on November 2, as the end of the festival approaches, Mexicans gather in the direction of the cemeteries where flowers and candles are scattered along the way to guide the travelling souls. Once the graves are adorned with flowers and offerings, the cemeteries are transformed into giant festive places where Mexicans dance, sing and watch until the early morning.
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