Merry Dia De La Muerte!
Catholicism has played a massive part in the lives of the people of South America ever since Christianity was taken over by the Conquistadores. It is also the fact that at the beginning of November when many families in South America celebrate Dias De La Muerte or Day Of The Dead where the families of the deceased celebrate their lives on the night before All Saints Day. A tradition as call Halloween.
During the festival there are fireworks, sweets and confectionery, little altars are made and decorated with sugar skulls and marigolds while families come with the deads’ favourite food and drinks. Although the celebrations now occur during a period assigned by the Christian church as All Saints’ Day the practice of venerating the dead goes back thousands of years to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess named Mictecacihuatl, queen of the underworld and afterlife. In Brazil the festivities are known as Dia de Fiados where, as in Mexico, Spain and other strongly catholic countries there are costumes and parades which lead to cemeteries and churches in order to pray for their dead loved ones. However these rituals aren’t just limited to countries and societies which have adopted Christianity, in many non Christian cultures days set aside for venerating the dead exist. Building a shrine which has all the dead's favourite things in supposed to call their soul in order for them to hear the prayers and comments that the living want o pass on to the dead. These might include “prestamos inmediatos” and “Tanda”.
While the dead adults receive tequila, mescal and atole, dead children, known as los Angelitos, are brought toys. Living relatives will also leave other gifts and sweets for the dead on their graves. Ofrendas or offerings are also put in homes and include pan de muerto and candied pumpkin which are intended to make the dead feel welcome. The living eat the food after the ceremony however, because the dead don’t have a corporeal body they enjoy the spiritual essence of the food leaving the food with little nutritional value but still full of deliciousness.
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