BajaNomad

DAY OF THE DEAD - photos added

BajaBlanca - 10-28-2011 at 11:44 AM

The Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico can be traced back to the indigenous cultures. Rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors have been observed by these civilizations perhaps for as long as 2,500–3,000 years.[1] In the pre-Hispanic era, it was common to keep skulls as trophies and display them during the rituals to symbolize death and rebirth.









In most regions of Mexico, deceased kids and adults are honored on November 2 DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (all souls day).









I just got back from the all school festivities to Honor the Dead ...and it was a real experience to see all the kids from tiny ones to High School Seniors, honoring different people in our community who have died by creating altars for them. The whole salon social or town hall was decorated with skeletons that had been dressed up and altars replete with

1. a dog = he will direct you to the afterworld
2. coins to pay the dog for taking you
3. a day of the dead loaf with a cross on it
4. candles so that your way is lit
5. black and orange being the traditional colors
6. a glass of water cause the deseert is hot
7. there was also salt and I can't remember why
8. a photo of the deceased
9. his/her favorite foods - so there was sushi and sweets
10 orange skulls - also traditional

I took so many pictures the battery on my camera is dead

:lol::lol::lol:



[Edited on 10-29-2011 by BajaBlanca]

Oso - 10-28-2011 at 01:38 PM

You forgot the marigolds.

Pompano - 10-28-2011 at 02:02 PM

3 devout Catholics. 1 Lutheran covering his burro.


We visited this cemetery on Day of the Dead, 2001.
Mountain village of Magdalena, BCS, Mexico

In Mulege, Xavier of Las Casitas Cafe & Motel always has a great display out to celebrate Day of the Dead. Check it out when it happens.




This pond invites you to pay your respects and a small donation. Then dip some water for gravesite flowers/plants, and offer your prayers.



[Edited on 10-29-2011 by Pompano]

Thanks, Bajablanca

Gypsy Jan - 10-28-2011 at 05:28 PM

It is really great to read and know more about the traditions.

Friends have invited us to post pictures of family and even pets on their altars.

fdt - 10-28-2011 at 05:41 PM

November 1st is Dia de Todos los Santos or Todos Santos not inocentes. Dia de los Inocentes or Los Santos Inocentes is December 28. :saint:

Thanks, Fernando

Gypsy Jan - 10-28-2011 at 05:44 PM

I am always looking to learn more.

GJ

BajaBlanca - 10-28-2011 at 08:05 PM













































BajaBlanca - 10-28-2011 at 08:21 PM

I fixed the information fdt ...thanks for correcting me. I thought I had read on wikipedia that the day before day of the dead was day of the innocents, but alas, I stand corrected !!

what most amazed me is that the little ones participate in remembering the dead and I saw many little ones reading all about those who had died - years ago 2 young ones died and their altar had toys galore.

can anyone tell me what CATRINA is ? I am guessing the skeleton ??

I know that on my altar there will be tons of bicycles and after next year, there will be tons of guitars too !!


:lol::lol:

Eli - 10-28-2011 at 08:50 PM

Wonderful pictures Blanca. Dia de Muertos is my favorite holiday!

Yesterday, I started building my father's Alter at My Galeria Los Angeles, I hope to have it completed with flowers and pan de muerto for a little celebration on Nov. 1st. Any Nomad's in Los Barriles are certainly invited.
I plan to go and clean his and Dona Lupe's grave and do a little decorating there also on Oct. 31st, spruce it all up for their return on Nov. 1st. Alas, I doubt I will have the traditional marigolds, wrong season in Baja.

Per Blanca and Fernando's comment, I think that in different regions beliefs and customs vary.
I too have been lead to believe that Dia de Los Angelitos (the innocent ones) is celebrated in some villages in Oaxaca on the night of Oct. 31st or 12am Nov. 1st., I have seen the marigold path's laid out for them to follow to the alters in homes there.
In Teotitlan de Valle, Oaxaca they invite the dead into their home a.m Nov. 1st, Dia de Todo Santos, take them back to the cemetery with candles, flowers and food that same night and spend the night there with them. Than on mid day of Nov. 2nd, they lead their dead to the edge of the village and send the Spirits back to the "other side" with fire crackers to lead their way.

[Edited on 10-29-2011 by Eli]

BajaBlanca - 10-28-2011 at 09:09 PM

I went ahunting and I found the wikipedia report I had read:



In most regions of Mexico, November 1 honors children and infants, whereas deceased adults are honored on November 2. This is indicated by generally referring to November 1 mainly as Día de los Inocentes ("Day of the Innocents") but also as Día de los Angelitos ("Day of the Little Angels") and November 2 as Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos ("Day of the Dead").[3]

too bad that this info is wrong .... thanks fdt again for clarifying.

Mengano - 10-28-2011 at 09:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBlanca
can anyone tell me what CATRINA is ? I am guessing the skeleton ??


These are Catrinas. They are as ubiquitous in Mexico as Jack-o-lanterns are in the US.


Eli - 10-29-2011 at 05:24 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBlanca


can anyone tell me what CATRINA is ? I am guessing the skeleton ??


Blanca, try googling "Jose Guadalupe Posada's Catrinas", if he was not the originator of "La Catrina" concept, he certainly made her famous. Also later, Diego Rivera contributed to Catrina's fame in his mural "Dream of a Sunday in Almendra Park".

I have many Catrina's in my collection, they are the gran dame of the Calavera's.

[Edited on 10-29-2011 by Eli]

Iflyfish - 10-29-2011 at 07:45 AM

Wonderful pics! Brought a tear to my eye. Puts me in mind of how alienated we are up north and how we hide one of the most important passages of our lives. Very well done!

I have been to Teotitlan de Valle, Oaxaca and it is one of the jewels of Mexico. I one watched a funeral, I was on horseback, overlooking the cemetary, as the mourners carried the open coffin on their shoulders, a small band proceeding and a burner of copal held under the coffin as it was carried to its resting place. The copal was to carry the soul to the afterlife. Such a rich culture in that region. Teotitlan de Valle is where some of the finest wool rugs in Mexico are made, most with natural dyes and many on hand looms.

Thanks for this post.

Iflyfish

David K - 10-29-2011 at 07:50 AM

Good job with your photo posting Blanca!:tumble:

Kalypso - 10-29-2011 at 08:47 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBlanca
can anyone tell me what CATRINA is ? I am guessing the skeleton ??


La Catrina was originally the creation of Jose Posada, Mexico's first well known printmaker. He rose to fame as the primary chronicler of the Porfirio Diaz era and early part of the Revolution. He also had a profound impact on Mexican muralis, particularly Diego Rivera. La Catrina first appeared in 1910 as the Mexican Revolution was just beginning to pick up momentum. And she appeared only as a head...the skull and fancy hat.

It's important to remember that in 1910 a very large portion of the Mexican population was still illiterate, so Posada used his prints to convey the news and events of the day. La Catrina came to represent a number of ideas...social commendtary with reduced risk for retribution, disdain for upper class Mexicans who were more European than Mexican, that in death it didn't matter if one was rich or poor everyone is the same in the end, and as a way to poke fun at the upper classes.

She also dovetailed in pretty well with the Aztec goddes of death and keeper of the bones Lady Micatecacihuatl or Lady Mictlan for short. So as with many things in Mexico you get this rich multicultural layering of traditions that all eventually merge into one.

After the Revolution the image of La Catrina kind of faded from use until the late 40s when Diego Rivera revived her in one of his more famous murals (The Sunday in Alameda Park mural). In that one a fully clothed Catrina is depicted holding the hand of Diego Rivera as a child with Jose Posada to the left of the Catrina and Frida Kahlo behind Diego. It's pretty potent symbolism indicating the connection they all have to life, death, the present and the past.

Juan Torres the Mexican sculptor and artist moved back to his home town of Capula, Michoacan from Mexico City about 30 years ago. He created a Catrina sculpture out of clay and his wife has taken the format and created a thriving business. The Juan Torres Catrinas are exquisite clay work with tremendous attention to detail and expression. The finishing work done in painting is beautiful. The Torres Catrinas depcit everything from nurses and gun toting Revolutionaries to nuns and pregnant women and can range from a few inches to several feet in heigth. These are some of the best Catrinas you'll find.

So there you have it, the Catrina essentially started life as a means for social commentary and communicating with a largely uneducated population. In 100 years she's morphed into an iconic and beloved symbol of the Mexican identity with multiple and deeply nuanced meanings.

And if someone could tell me how to post photos, I'd post the pictures I have of my Catrinas.

BajaBlanca - 10-29-2011 at 08:57 AM

THANK YOU DAVID ... only took me a year or so LOL

I too am really pleasantly surprised at how natural death is dealt with here. It is considered a normal event that is faced front first. In La Bocana, there are a couple customs

1. when someone in the community dies, all activities including fishing - lobstering - whatever, are stopped and everyone who wants to, goes to the wake (at people's houses since we have no funeral home yet - this is one of my projects) and then the funeral

2. once someone requested to be cremated and have the ashes put into the ocean. Les saw many, many boats circling aroung the main boat as they dropped the ashes into the water. he says it was an incredible sight to see.

yesterday, all the kids participated in making all the altars and I saw many kids reading all about the kids/adults who had died. I think this is so important .... I was never given an inkling about what death involved as a child.

FUNNY STORY AND TRUE: our good friend Pancho was visiting one of his daughters after his wife of 40 some years had died. He was sitting at the diningroom table and looking glum. One of his grandaughters looked at him and said

"grandpa, are you sad cause grandma died ?"

"yes" he answered

"don't be sad grandpa. you are old too, so you will die soon and then you will see her again !!"


It sounds even funnier in Spanish and it made everyone around laugh.
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the things that come out of younguns mouths ...

Eli - 10-30-2011 at 06:21 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Iflyfish
Wonderful pics! Brought a tear to my eye. Puts me in mind of how alienated we are up north and how we hide one of the most important passages of our lives. Very well done!

I have been to Teotitlan de Valle, Oaxaca and it is one of the jewels of Mexico. I one watched a funeral, I was on horseback, overlooking the cemetary, as the mourners carried the open coffin on their shoulders, a small band proceeding and a burner of copal held under the coffin as it was carried to its resting place. The copal was to carry the soul to the afterlife. Such a rich culture in that region. Teotitlan de Valle is where some of the finest wool rugs in Mexico are made, most with natural dyes and many on hand looms.

Thanks for this post.

Iflyfish


Iflyfish, You always say it so well, Wonderful visions of a magical place, thanks!

BajaBlanca - 10-30-2011 at 11:31 AM

ditto. well put iflyfish !!