Mihcailhuitl or Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a two day holiday that reunites the living and dead. Families create ofrendas (Offerings) to honor their departed family members that have passed. These altars are decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers, photos of the departed, and the favorite foods and drinks of the one being honored. The offerings are believed to encourage visits from the land of the dead as the departed souls hear their prayers, smell their foods and join in the celebrations!

Pre-Hispanic Origins :hisssssss:

The celebration of the deceased faithful in Mexico has its origin in pre-Hispanic times. According to historians, the Mexica had various periods throughout the year to celebrate their dead, the most important of which took place at the end of the harvest, between the months of September and November.

Aztec society believed that life continued even in the afterlife, that is why it considered the existence of four "destinations" for people, according to the way they died. The archaeologist Eduardo López Moctezuma details them as follows:

• The Tonatiuhichan or "house of the sun" was the place where warriors killed in battle, those captured for sacrifice and pregnant women went.

• The Tlalocan, a type of paradise to which all those who died by water arrived.

• The Chichihualcuauhco, a space destined for dead babies, there they were suckled by a huge nurse tree until they were "born again."

El Mictlán, the kingdom of the dead and the destiny of people who died from causes not related to water, war or childbirth. It was thought that, to reach this last place, the dead had to go through a long process in which they were helped by a dog ( Xoloitzcuintle ).

To arrive at Mictlán, the deceased had to wait four years, during which time he was devoured by Tlaltecuhtli, the goddess of the earth. Completed the above, a journey through the nine levels of the Mexica underworld began.

Finaly after Crossing the river Chiconahuapan, with the help of a xoloitzcuintle dog. They would reach the Itzmitlanapochcalocan, the place where the gods of death dwell. It is this last place where the deceased met Mictlantecuhtli , the god of the underworld.

Mictlantecuhtli was the owner and lord of the place of the dead, Mictlán. He was also considered the god of the underworld and ruled such a destiny together with his wife Mictlancíhuatl.

When the person was in the presence of the deity, he had to give him the offerings with which he was buried: corn grains, beans, precious stones and other vegetable products.

Within art, Mictlantecuhtli has been represented in various ways, mainly as a skeleton or man with cadaverous features, blood and even with his liver exposed. He is accompanied with various attire such as plumes, hats, necklaces, belts, and cotton textiles. One of the most popular sculptures of the god of death is in the Museo del Templo Mayor, in Mexico City.

:spain-cool: Conquista period and Catholic syncretism :chesus:

With the arrival of the Spanish, the Day of the Dead did not completely disappear, like other Mexican religious festivals. The evangelizers discovered that there was a coincidence of dates between the pre-Hispanic celebration of the dead with All Saints' Day, dedicated to the memory of the saints who died in the name of Christ.

The feast of All Saints began in Europe in the 13th century and during this date the relics of the Catholic martyrs were exhibited to be worshiped by the people.

There was also a synchronicity with the celebration of the faithful departed, held just one day after Todos Santos. It was in the fourteenth century when the Catholic hierarchy included this festival in its calendar, the purpose of which was to remember all those who died from various pandemics, such as the Black Death that ravaged Europe.

This is how the Day of the Dead was reduced to just two days, on November 1 and 2, although in other regions such as Oaxaca and Puebla it extends to several days, since it is believed that those who died of unnatural causes arrive days before to home.

The pre-Hispanic customs of cremating the dead or burying them in the home were eliminated and the corpses began to be deposited in the churches (the rich inside and the poor in the atrium). Spanish customs were adopted, such as consuming bone-shaped desserts that led to the popular pan de muerto and sugar skulls.

The custom of placing an altar with candles or tapers also began, in this way the relatives prayed for the soul of the deceased so that it would reach heaven. In the same way, the visit to cemeteries became traditional, which were created until the end of the 18th century, as a way to prevent diseases by building them on the outskirts of cities.

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