How has Día de Muertos (The Day of the Dead) evolved overtime and become the celebration we know today?
By elod5250
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Period: 1 CE to 1500
Indigenous Traditions
Indigenous Mexican cultures such as Nahua Aztec had rituals to honour the dead. This was in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and they saw death as an ever-present part of life. After death, people were believed to go to Chicunamictlán, the Land of the Dead, which is a journey of several years to finally reach their resting place, Mictlán. The Nahua and Aztec people created a tradition where they would provide food, water, and tools to help their loved ones throughout the journey every year in August. -
1500
All Souls Day coming into Mexican Culture
Spanish colonizers brought Catholicism into Mexican culture to try to suppress them. All Saints Day (November 1st) and All Souls Day (November 2nd) was introduced, both days to remember the dead. These Catholic commencement days originated from all over Europe, particularly the Celtic Nations. They would have bonfires where they’d feast and dance. As it is very similar to the Day of the Dead, the two traditions fused into one. -
Period: 1500 to
Cultural Exchange
As European people settled in the same land that the Indigenous peoples lived in, a lot of cultural exchange took place. Although Catholic symbols became popular, they were right alongside Indigenous elements and art. The European people and Indigenous peoples traditions began to come together as well, for example the Day of the Dead was celebrated with the All Souls Day and All Saints Day. The mix of the holidays was eventually named Día de Muertos. -
La Calavera Catrina
José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) was a mexican artist who created the image of La Calavera Catrina. La Calavera Catrina is an image of a skeleton in a fancy European hat. It was made to satirize wealthy, upper-class Mexican women. This image became very popular and a vital part of Mexican culture, the skeleton has correlation to the meaning of Día de Muertos. This image ended up popularizing Día de Muertos to the rest of the world. -
Period: to
Día de Muertos Becoming Popular
Día de Muertos became very popular and widely celebrated across all of Mexico and the Mexican culture in America. It even became a popular tradition in urban areas of Mexico, and it was promoted as part of Mexico’s cultural heritage. -
Día de Muertos Today
Today Día de Muertos is a very popular tradition, it is often mistaken for Halloween as they both have potentially eerie elements and are celebrated at the same time. Día de Muertos is popular worldwide and was exposed to media through the movie Coco (2017) and The Book of Life (2014).