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Amy Luscinski

Day of the Dead 

Al t hough t he r i t ual has s i nce been mer ged wi t h Cathol i ct heol ogy, i t st i l l mai nt ai ns t he basi c pr i nci pl es of t he Azt ec

r i t ual , such as t he use of skul l s. Today, peopl e don woodenskul l masks cal l ed cal acas and dance i n honor of t hei r deceasedr el at i ves. The wooden skul l s are al so pl aced on al t ar s t hat ar ededi cated t o the dead. Sugar skul l s, made wi t h t he names of t hedead per son on t he f or ehead, ar e eat en by a r el at i ve or f r i end.

 The Azt ecs and ot her Meso- Amer i can ci vi l i zat i ons kept skul l s ast r ophi es and di spl ayed t hem dur i ng t he r i t ual . The skul l s wer eused t o symbol i ze deat h and rebi r t h.

 The skul l s wer e used t o honor t he dead, whom t he Azt ecs andot her Meso- Amer i can ci vi l i zat i ons bel i eved came back t o vi si tdur i ng t he mont h- l ong r i t ual .

Unl i ke t he Spani ar ds, who vi ewed deat h as t he end of l i f e, t henat i ves vi ewed i t as t he cont i nuat i on of l i f e. I nst ead of f ear i ng deat h, t hey embr aced i t . To t hem, l i f e was a dr eam andonl y i n death di d t hey become t r ul y awake.

"The pr e- Hi spani c peopl e honored dual i t y as bei ng dynami c, " sai dChr i st i na Gonzal ez, seni or l ect ur er on Hi spani c i ssues atAr i zona St at e Uni ver si t y. "They di dn' t separ at e deat h f r om pai n,weal t h f r om pover t y l i ke they di d i n West er n cul t ur es. "

However , t he Spani ar ds consi der ed t he r i t ual t o be sacr i l egi ous. They per cei ved t he i ndi genous peopl e t o be bar bar i c and pagan.

I n t hei r at t empt s t o conver t t hem t o Cat hol i ci sm, t he Spani ar dst r i ed to ki l l the r i tual .But l i ke t he ol d Azt ec spi r i t s, t he r i t ual r ef used t o di e.

 To make t he r i t ual mor e Chr i st i an, t he Spani ar ds moved i t so i tcoi nci ded wi t h Al l Sai nt s' Day and Al l Soul s' Day (Nov. 1 and2) , whi ch i s when i t i s cel ebr at ed t oday.

Pr evi ousl y i t f el l on t he ni nt h mont h of t he Azt ec Sol arCal endar , appr oxi matel y t he begi nni ng of August , and wascel ebr at ed f or t he ent i r e mont h. Fest i vi t i es wer e pr esi ded overby the goddess Mi ct ecaci huat l . The goddess, known as "Lady of t he Dead, " was bel i eved t o have di ed at bi r t h.

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 Today, Day of t he Dead i s cel ebr at ed i n Mexi co and i n cer t ai npar t s of t he Uni t ed St at es and Cent r al Amer i ca.

" I t ' s cel ebr at ed di f f er ent dependi ng on wher e you go, " Gonzal ezsai d.

I n gener al , t he mor e ur ban t he set t i ng wi t hi n Mexi co t he l essr el i gi ous and cul t ur al i mpor t ance i s r et ai ned by obser vant s,whi l e t he mor e r ur al and I ndi an t he l ocal i t y the gr eat er t her el i gi ous and economi c i mpor t of t he hol i day. Because of t hi s,t hi s obser vance i s usual l y of gr eat er soci al i mpor t ance i nsout her n Mexi co t han i n t he nor t her n par t of t he count r y.

I n r ur al Mexi co, peopl e vi si t t he cemet er y wher e thei r l ovedones ar e bur i ed. They decor at e gr avesi t es wi t h mar i gol d f l ower sand candl es. They br i ng t oys f or dead chi l dr en and bot t l es of t equi l a t o adul t s. They si t on pi cni c bl anket s next t o

gr avesi t es and eat t he f avor i t e f ood of t hei r l oved ones.

I n t he Uni t ed St at es and i n Mexi co' s l ar ger ci t i es, f ami l i esbui l d al t ar s i n t hei r homes, dedi cat i ng t hem t o t he dead. Theysur r ound t hese al t ar s wi t h f l ower s, f ood and pi ct ur es of t hedeceased. They l i ght candl es and pl ace t hem next t o t he al t ar .

 Thi s i s an anci ent f est i vi t y t hat has been much t r ansf or medt hr ough the year s, but whi ch was i nt ended i n pr ehi spani c Mexi cot o cel ebr at e chi l dr en and t he dead. Hence, t he best way t odescr i be t hi s Mexi can hol i day i s t o say that i t i s a t i me when

Mexi can f ami l i es r emember t hei r dead, and the cont i nui t y of l i f e.

Source:Mi l l er , Car l os. “I ndi genous peopl e woul dn' t l et ' Day of t heDead' di e. ” azcent r al . com. 2005.ht t p: / / www. azcent r al . com/ ent / dead/ hi st or y/ 

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Day of t he Dead gl ossary

Rather t han a t i me of mour ni ng, Day of t he Dead - obser ved everyNov. 1 and 2 - i s a cel ebr at i on of l i f e and deat h, when t hespi r i t s of t he dear l y depar t ed r et ur n t o Ear t h f or a f ami l yf i est a. Act ual l y t hat ' s j ust a skel et al summar y of t he happyhol i day. I n or der t o exper i ence t he f ul l meal deal , we suggestyou get smar t on what i t ' s al l about bef or e t he cel ebr at i on. Sohere' s t he 411 on t he basi c el ement s:

Of r endaWhi l e some pr ef er t o vi si t t he gr aves of l oved ones, ot her sbui l d an of r enda ( of f er i ng) , or al t ar , i n t hei r home. I tconsi st s of a phot o of t he one bei ng honor ed; pr ayer candl es i npur pl e f or pai n, whi t e f or hope and pi nk f or t he cel ebr at i on;pan de l os muer t os ( br ead of t he dead) , a sweet ened br ead baked

i n r ound l oaves or skul l shapes; mar i gol ds; sugar skul l s; papelpi cado (Mexi can t i ssue- paper decor at i ons) ; copal ( i ncense t ocl ear t he pat h f or spi r i t s r et ur n) ; a gl ass of wat er and abot t l e of beer .

Cal averas These whi msi cal r endi t i ons of skul l s and skel et ons ar e used i nmany f orms of ar t work, t oys and mi ni - shadowboxes.

La Cat r i na Thi s popul ar Muer t os i mage was cr eated by Mexi can ar t i st J osé

Guadal upe Posada ( 1852- 1913) . I t was model ed i n t he Frenchst yl e, af t er t he l adi es of t he ear l y 1900s.

Gr aveyardsI n cer t ai n par t s of Mexi co, f ami l y member s gat her at t he gr avesof t hei r l oved ones and bui l d t he al t ar by t he headst one rat hert han i n t hei r home.

Cempazuchi t lAl so known as " t he f l ower wi t h 400 l i ves, " mar i gol ds wer et hought by the Azt ec I ndi ans t o symbol i ze deat h. I t i s bel i eved

t hat t he scent of t he pet al s f or ms a wel come pat h f or t hespi r i t s t o r et ur n t o t hei r al t ar or gr ave.

Sugar skul l sMol ded f r om a sugar past e, t hen decor at ed wi t h i ci ng, gl i t t erand f oi l , t hese skul l s of t en ar e pl aced on al t ar s. The sugarr epr esent s t he sweet ness of l i f e, and t he skul l r epr esent s t hesadness of deat h.

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alfenique - a speci al conf ect i on used t o f ashi on skul l s, f r ui t sand ot her f i gur es.

altar de muertos - t he of f er i ng t hat f ami l y and/ or f r i endspr epar e f or t hei r dead l oved ones

angelitos - t he soul s of t he chi l dr en who have di ed, l i t er al l y" l i t t l e angel s"

arco - decorated arch somet i mes pl aced on t he gr aves or on t heal t ar de muert os

atole - an anci ent dr i nk made f r om cor n meal and wat er f l avor edwi t h var i ous f r ui t s.

calacas - whi msi cal skel et on f i gur es t hat r epr esent deat h

calavera - a skul l , al so a sl ang t er m f or "dar edevi l "

calaveras - songs and poems about t he f est i val

calaveritas de azúcar - sugar skul l s made f or t he Dí a de l osMuer t os

careta - mask worn by dancers t o scare t he dead away at t he endof t he cel ebr at i ons

catrina - Famed Dí a de l os Muert os ar t i st J osé Guadal upePosada' s i con of deat h. Cat r i na means: a weal t hy woman, i t i ssai d i n a sar cast i c manner .

cempazuchitl - a yel l ow mar i gol d, t he symbol of deat h, al soknown as Cempasuchi l or zempasuchi t l

copalli - a scent ed r esi n used t o make i ncense

Día de los Muertos - Day of t he Dead

Día Todos los Santos - Al l Sai nt s' Day

golletes - A doughnut shaped br ead, gl azed wi t h pi nk col oredsugar t hat i s pl aced on t he al t ar .

Iluminación - The cer emony t hat t akes pl ace i n t he cemetary,wher e hundr eds of candl es are l i ght ed t o gui de t he soul s t ot hei r al t ars .

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mole - a thi ck sauce made f r om a var i et y of i ngr edi ent si ncl udi ng chi l i s, sesame seeds, her bs, spi ces, chocol at e/ f r ui t .

ofrenda - an of f er i ng, r ef er s t o t he goods set out on t he al t ar s

 pan de los muertos - br ead of t he dead

 papel picado - col or f ul t i ssue paper wi t h i nt r i cat e, f est i vedesi gns cut out

Source:Cano- Mur i l l o, Kat hy. Azcent r al . com. 2005.ht t p: / / www. azcent r al . com/ ent / dead/ hi st or y/ f l ashcar ds. ht ml ,ht t p: / / www. azcent r al . com/ ent / dead/ gl ossar y/ .

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Day of the Dead Recipes

One of the most celebrated traditions in Mexico is the Day of the Dead. On this

occasion, unique dishes are prepared, and the relatives cook for the enjoyment of the

deceased. The culinary offerings are the centerpieces of the altar, which is decorated 

with cempasuchitl flowers. The fragrance of the flowers blends with the aroma of burntcopal.

Typical of Oaxaca – Fruit Atole (Hot drink made from corn starch and fruit)

Ingredients:10 cups milk 

½ lb. sugar 2 lb. of any kind of fruit

1 stick of cinnamon1/8 tsp. baking soda1 cup corn starch

Preparation:Wash, cut, and boil the fruit in water until it is soft.

Drain and transfer to a blender.

In a saucepan, combine the strained fruit, milk, sugar, and baking soda.

Dissolve the corn starch in some water and combine it with the rest of the ingredients.Set the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens.

Add sugar to taste before mixture begins to boil.

Remove, let cool, and drink.

Source:

Andrade, Mary. Dayofthedead.com. 2006. http://www.dayofthedead.com/Recipe.html.

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PAN DE MUERTOS

DAY OF THE DEAD BREADALL SOULS BREAD

This is a version of the bread that is made for the November 2 celebration known as the Día delos Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico. You can also mold the bread into different shapes like

angels and animals.

Ingredientes - Ingredients:

•  Una taza y media de harina - 1 1/2 cups of flour 

•  Media taza da azúcar - 1/2 cup of sugar 

•  Una cucharadita de sal - 1 teaspoon of salt

•  Una cucharada de semillas de anís - 1 tablespoon of anise seed 

•  Dos paquetitos de levadura - 2 packets of dry yeast

•  Media taza de leche - 1/2 cup of milk •  Media taza de agua - 1/2 cup of water 

•  Media taza de mantequilla - 1/2 cup of butter 

•  Cuatro huevos - 4 eggs

•  Entre tres y cuatro y media tazas de harina - from 3 - 4 1/2 cups of flour 

Preparation:

Mix all dry ingredients together except the 3 - 4 1/2 cups of flour.

In a small pan, heat the milk, the water, and the butter. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture.Beat well.

Mix in the eggs and 1 1/2 cups of flour. Beat well.

Put in the rest of the flour, little by little.

Knead the mixture on a floured board for 9 - 10 minutes.

Put the dough in a greased bowl and allow it to rise until it has doubled in size (about an hour 

and a half at sea level).

Punch the dough down and reshape it with some "bone" shapes on top to decorate it. Let it rise

another hour.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 40 minutes.

After baking, sprinkle it with confectioner's sugar and colored sugar.

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Preparación:

Mezcle todos los ingredientes secos menos las 3 - 4 1/2 tazas de harina.

En una olla caliente la leche, el agua y la mantequilla. Añada la mezcla líquida a la mezcla deingredientes secos.

Bátalo bien.

Agregue los huevos y una taza y media de harina. Bátalo bien.

Agregue el resto de la harina poco a poco.

Sobre una tabla enharinada, amase por unos 9 - 10 minutos la mezcla.

Ponga la masa en un recipiente engrasado, y deje que levante hasta que haya doblado su tamaño(aproximadamente hora y media al nivel del mar).

Para que la masa se encoja, déle puñetazos y fórmela de nuevo con unos "huesos" de masa

encima para decorarla.

Deje que levante una hora más.

Hornee a 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) por unos 40 minutos.

Después de hornearlo, espolvoréele azúcar glas y azúcar coloreado.

Source:

Graber, Karen Hursh. Mexconnect.com. 1996-2007.http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/recipes/puebla/kgpandemuertos.html.

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Day of the Dead Websites

Oaxaca:http://www.dayofthedead.com/TraditionSadandJoy.html

 http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/mdiaz/mdmuertos.html

 

Mexico City:http://www.dayofthedead.com/TraditionSkulls.html

 

Various sites:http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/jking/jkdayofthedead.html 

http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/dpalfrey/dpofrendas.html http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/muertos.html

 

interactive: http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/altar/