Dia De Los Muertos

History

Many Mexican and Latin American people of Indian heritage believe that each year on El dia de los muertos, the souls of their departed relatives return to share a feast with the living. Long before the Aztecs built a civilization in the Valley of Mexico, the people of Central America and Mexico held special ceremonies for the dead. The Aztecs, who came into the Valley of Mexico in about 1325, inherited many traditions from these Ancient cultures. They believed that spirits in the afterworld could influence what happened to them on earth and that the spirits could act as messengers to the gods.

For the Aztecs, the way a person died determined what kind of an afterlife he would have. For instance, when a person died a natural death he entered Mictlan, or the place of the dead, to embark upon a long and difficult journey through nine levels of the underworld. When babies and little children died they went to a place called Chichihuacuauhco, where an immense tree fed the children by milk from its branches.

These ancient beliefs developed into celebrations for the dead. During each month, festivals called veintenas were held in honor of the gods. These early veintenas gave rise to the celebrations of El dia de los muertos, a time for the spirits to return to visit their family and friends. It was a time for the dead to feast on their favorite foods, to hear the music that once made them happy, and to be with the people they love.

 When the Spanish conquistadors arrived on the Mexican peninsula in the 1500's, they also brought the Christian religion. Coincidentally, the Aztecs celebrated a festival for the dead at the same time of year as the Catholic celebrations of All Saints' Day. These Catholic traditions were combined with the veintenas. This resulted in a blending of ancient Indian customs with the religious beliefs of Catholic Christianity that continues to this day.

Freestyle Fridays celebrated, "El dia de los muertos" by creating our altar complete with " pan de muertos," fruit, honey, chocolate, velas, prayers and poem for our deceased. We have begun a permanent wall of photos and poems in memory of our love one.