Dia de los Muertos
It may be a cool, dark night in Mexico. But the air seems to be warmed by the soft glow of hundreds of candles. In almost every cemetery around the country, you can hear laughter and singing. You can watch families gather around the graves of their loved ones adorned with foods, favorite objects, and marigolds.This is El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a Mexican holiday exclusively for the dead. With origins and traditions combining Aztec, Catholicism, and other indigenous beliefs, it is observed on November 1st and 2nd of each year. It gives the individual an annual reminder of his/her mortality. No matter how famous you are, Death is your last partner on the dance floor. This mysterious celebration may sound like a strange variation of Halloween to most Americans, but to the people of Mexico it is much more than that. “Dia de los Muertos is a loved and sacred celebration in Mexico,” said Hernando Garcia. “It is about paying respect to the dead.” Mr. Garcia is a seasonal migrant worker who for six to eight months out of the
“Everyone becomes equal when rendered in his or her skeletal state,” Sanford wrote in the article. “I think Americans are being shown the festive side of it. Mexicans, especially my family celebrate it festively so I don’t see anything wrong with that,” Mr. Garcia said. “But I think that maybe people are forgetting or not understanding what it is actually about.” Halloween, with its roots in the European harvest, seems to have suffered far worse from commercialization than Day of the Dead. Author John Sanford posted an article on www.carnaval.com that gave an in-depth look at the life of Mexican artist Jose Guadalupe Posada. In the 19th century, Posada used the calavera image to comment on the political corruption and social injustices of his time. About mid-October in Mexico, skeletal figures make their appearance in store displays and market stands. Candy skulls are exchanged as gifts. Bakeries sell pan de muertos (bread of the dead). Vendors and artisans feature skeletal images with their handcrafted wood toys and pape
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Approximate Word count = 711
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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