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CELEBRATING THE DEAD AND THE CIRCLE OF LIFE IN MEXICOStory and photos by Vicki Hoefling AndersenHighOnAdventure.com December 1, 2010 |
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For two ceaseless hours the drummers pounded a soul-stirring rhythm while the participants executed a centuries-old spinning and twirling version of a highly animated line dance.The first night I stumbled upon this ritual, occurring just a block from my beachfront condo in Puerto Vallarta, I was mesmerized. Delight soon followed when I found out it would be going on nightly for the next week, providing the opportunity not only for entertainment but for the chance to learn more about ancient Aztec traditions. |
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The reason for planning my trip at this exact time was precisely to experience the Day of the Dead. I did not yet realize the significance this particular ceremony had to that original reason. “Dia de los Muertos”, its proper name, originated as a pre-Hispanic Aztec custom celebrating the lives of those who had passed.The invading Spanish attempted to squelch anything they deemed non-Christian, with mixed success. Eventually the Aztec’s month-long ritual merged with the Catholic All Saints Day and All Souls Day and all parties seem to be satisfied. The “Day” of the Dead actually encompasses two days, November 1 and 2.The 1st, known as All Saints Day, honors saints and children who have passed on. The 2nd is All Souls Day, when tribute is paid to adults. It is believed that during this period, the departed are able to visit family and friends, so family members prepare a big welcome. Dia de los Muertos isn’t a celebration of the dead so much as a celebration of the living soul. It is a remembrance of life, an honoring of loved ones who have passed on. It’s not a morbid celebration, and unlike Halloween there are no ghosts or witches or devils. It is an opportunity to reconnect with the departed and to reflect on the meaning and purpose of life. The key symbol of death, the “calavera”—skull or skeleton—can be found everywhere and is an important part of the celebration. |
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Colors include orange, the color of the sun and life, and black, the color of the dead. Favorite articles of clothing are among the items placed on altars |
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| In the Nahua culture, which included the Aztecs, life was a dream and only in dying did a person awaken. Death, being inescapable, was not to be looked upon with trepidation. During the Day of the Dead, souls are able to return to their former earthly realm and families go to great preparations to welcome them. The actual celebrations vary somewhat in different parts of Mexico, but they share common threads. Altars for the departed soul, known as “ofrendas”, are fundamental to all celebrations, and they are set up everywhere—at home, at work, in the cemetery—and provide a gathering place for family to remember their dearly departed. |
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Flowers include orange marigolds, reputed to attract the souls of the dead |
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Altars always include a photograph of the person to whom it is dedicated. Other items might include jewelry or clothing that belonged to the deceased, and objects that were special to them or that they had created. The soul cannot partake of sustenance but can enjoy its spiritual essence, so favorite foods and beverages are set out for their gratification. It’s not uncommon to see a pack of cigarettes or a bottle of tequila. Children’s altars often include favorite toys. Considered sacred by the Aztec, “cempasuchitl”, the Nahuatl name for the orange marigold, are found everywhere. Brightly colored paper wreaths and crosses or crepe paper flowers are often used. Some offerings double as the four main elements of nature: earth (food), wind (tissue paper cut-outs), water, and fire (candles). |
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Many altars include purple, a color sacred to Catholics. The nearby town of Bucerias set up an altar in the main Zocalo (plaza), back-dropped by palm trees and pounding surf. |
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Elements of pre-Hispanic beliefs blend with Catholic icons. Even shops display colorful ofrendas. |
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| Grave sites are cleaned and decorated in preparation for an all-night vigil and picnic. Stories about the departed are shared, and mariachi bands add to the festive atmosphere. The entire cemetery is illuminated by a inestimable number of candles, helping light the path for departed souls to find their way. |
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Skeleton figures are busy doing ordinary everyday tasks. Whimsical skeleton figures known as “Catrinas” are found everywhere, engaged in almost any task a human would do. These symbols of the circle of life aptly portray the Mexican relationship with death. |
| Two symbols of Dia de los Muertos are ubiquitous: sugar skulls and pan de muerto. Pan, a sweet yeast bread, most commonly has pieces of dough pinched across the top to resemble bones, but may also be formed into skulls, people and rabbits. | ||
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Brightly decorated sugar skulls are omnipresent and candy displays fill store shelves. Pan de Muerto is a traditional food and offering during this time. |
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Skulls are another tradition that descended from the Aztecs, who prized them as trophies and displayed them as symbols of death and rebirth. It is believed that 17th century friars helped the transition from using the real thing when they taught their flocks to make decorations from material they had in abundance, which included sugar. Festooned with icing, feathers or other items, the skull is often inscribed with the name of the deceased person. Dia de los Muertos spans two days, but the Aztecs believed the world between humans and spirits was open for a much longer period, from the last week in October through the first week of November. During this time many groups still perform the Aztec Dance (“Danza Azteca” in Spanish, “Mi’totiliztli” in Nahuatl), a representation of man’s quest to live in harmony with the world around him, both corporeal and spiritual. As the dance progresses over a weeklong period, the participants come together to worship and to communicate with their gods. |
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This is one of the few native dance rituals that permits the participation of women, who wear elaborately decorated skirts or tunics. An early start helps to master the intricacies of the Danza Azteca |
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| I was privileged to meet one of the dancers in the group performing in Puerto Vallarta who spent considerable time, in broken but eager English, answering my queries and explaining the significance of the rituals and dance. When I asked his name, he said to refer to him simply as “Kalpully Kuahucihuatl”, which in Nahuatl means “Women with the Face of the Eagle”. It is the name of the traditional Aztec dance troupe to which he belongs, although “belong” doesn’t convey the all-encompassing passion these people have for their art. It is a way of life, a way to communicate, and a way to pray. He compactly summed up his culture’s view of Dia de los Muertos when he told me, “The dead are our friends.” | ||
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Headdresses, called “penachos”, are towering creations of pheasant, eagle and other colorful feathers. Designed to draw energy from the cosmos, in effect they transform the dancer into a human machine. Their swaying movement produces a spellbinding effect, as if they are genuinely drawing power from the heavens. |
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The altar is the power center of the Danza Azteca, with four traditional elements: grandfather fire, sticks of power, flowers and food. |
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Nucleus of the dance are the drummers, whose frenzied beating on wooden drums seems impossible to maintain. Yet it goes on and on, accompanied by clay and reed flutes, and shell and seed tambourines and rattles. Sleeves of seed pods and bells encasing the calves and ankles of the dancers add a mystical tinge to the pulsing sound. |
| Click the little box at the left for a 16-second video of dancing. | ||
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By following different steps to the dance, the participant begins their spiritual awakening. It is believed to take 35-40 minutes of non-stop dancing to cleanse the body and soul. Dancing barefoot enables the participant to connect to Mother Earth and draw on her power. My new friend said dancers need an open heart to connect. “Mother Earth doesn’t have time for apologies,” and they dance not for self but for their soul. |
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The dancer on the right, having participated in more nights of ritual, requires more protective face paint Men’s attire includes a loincloth, or “maaxtlati.“ |
Participants begin with bare faces, which symbolizes purity and cleansing. As the dance progresses over the week-long celebration and the dancers obtain more cleansing, they add more facial paint to help protect themselves. Their day by day transformation was both amazing and unnerving as their countenances disappeared beneath heavier and heavier layers of white, representing life, black, signifying death, and ebony dots incorporating the four elements of their altar. I had come to see firsthand how this Mexican community celebrated their Day of the Dead. I had no idea I would have the chance to see descendants of the Nahua conducting a powerful, centuries-old ritual. I came away with an understanding of the tradition and culture that gave rise to honoring the dearly departed and their own place in the circle of life. |
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| Vicki Hoefling Andersen can be reached at: [email protected] | ||
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