Find out what puts life into The Day of the Dead (The 3-Minute Weekly Insight from Spirituality U.) The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday usually celebrated in the time frame of October 31 through November 2 each year. In Spanish, this holiday is referred to as the Dia de los Muertos or sometimes simply Dia de Muertos. These days at the end of October and beginning of November serve as a positive affirmation of the ongoing cycle of life and death. They also give those who embrace them the opportunity to celebrate the living memories of loved ones who have moved from the world of the living to the other side. In essence, the Day of the Dead allows the dead to live once more. It is believed that during this time the dead return to their earthly homes to visit and rejoice. And although the holiday has roots that go back perhaps 4000 years in Mexico, Dia de los Muertos today is celebrated in a number of Spanish speaking countries, the US, and other parts of the world. It is a blending of pre-Hispanic indigenous beliefs and Spanish Catholic practices. This holiday coincides with the celebration of Halloween, but it is not the same. And even though this holiday has a name that is macabre, it is a time of joy. According to one web site, Foremost, Dia de los Muertos is a time of celebration. Although losing someone is undeniably a somber and life-changing event, Dia de Muertos provides people with the opportunity to rejoice in the living memories of their loved ones. Many of us know this holiday because of the arts and crafts associated with it. Creative expressions associated with the Day of the Dead include paintings, figurines, and dioramas. They often feature skulls, skeletons, and other representations of the dead- usually in wild colors and garish visualizations. The ways in which individuals, families and communities observe Dia de los Muertos are instructive about the deeper significance of the holiday. In their homes, people create altars to honor their deceased family members and loved ones. In some places people invite others into their homes to view these altars. Celebrants often visit cemeteries where they clean and decorate the headstones of relatives who are buried there. The decorations can include photos, candles, foods, and drinks. Visitors may spend the night in the cemetery socializing and sharing memories of the dead. Musicians may also be hired to stroll among the graves, playing the favorite songs of the deceased. In the public arena, Day of the Dead celebrations can take the form of street parties, parades and, on college campuses, festivals! Dia de los Muertos observances are most often positive, but there is also a dark side to this holiday. Some people mark the Dia out of fear. Mexican folk tales caution people about what can happen if dead relatives are not properly honored. If a spirit returns to find no altar or paltry offerings, it may feel sad and even angry. Such a spirit may elect to seek vengeance on those who have neglected it! https://vimeo/110615735
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 21:49:04 +0000
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