Day of the Dead: A Vibrant Blend of Tradition and Evolution
The Day of the Dead, a vibrant Mexican tradition, unfolds over three days in San Andrés Mixquic. It's a time when the boundary between the living and the dead blurs, and families welcome their departed relatives back home. This year's celebrations blend ancient indigenous themes with newer influences, keeping the festival dynamic and alive.
The first day of the celebration is dedicated to the souls of children, while the second day welcomes adult relatives. The Jiménez family, like many others, invites tourists to participate respectfully, understanding that curiosity helps preserve their traditions. The family prepares an ofrenda, an altar adorned with marigold petals, colorful cloth, fruit, candy skulls, and photos of their loved ones to welcome them back.
The Day of the Dead is not a Mexican Halloween, but rather a celebration of Mexican identity and a chance to honor departed relatives. It's a blend of indigenous Mexican themes and the European Christian tradition of All Saint's Day, with tombs festooned with marigolds and photographs on family altars being prominent elements. Martha Nashieli Jiménez Bernal considers this festival 'a magical moment where life and death come together', and she welcomes her father, Ángel Jiménez del Aguila, back home.
The final celebration takes place in the cemetery, where families clean and decorate graves, play music, eat food, and toast with mezcal to say their goodbyes. In recent years, the festival has taken on new influences, such as the adoption of a popular parade in Mexico City after its appearance in the 2015 James Bond movie 'Spectre'.
The Day of the Dead, celebrated on the first two days of November, is a Mexican tradition that differs throughout the country. While it's often portrayed as ancient, some aspects are far more recent than commonly believed. Despite its evolution, the core of the festival remains the same: a time to remember, celebrate, and say goodbye to departed loved ones.
