Wikipedia Trail: Day of the Dead
Call me weird, but many times, I enjoy making Wikipedia searches
for things I already some familiarly with. I just like to bridge any gaps that
I might have about the topic. I found the day of the dead on the class twitter
stream.
Day of the Dead: The Day of the Dead is a
predominantly Mexican holiday. It can be traced back to the Aztecs. In essence,
it is a day of rituals celebrating the lives of dead ancestors. It is often quoted
that individuals die twice. Once, when they die biologically and then they will
only truly die when they are forgotten. Hence, the holiday tries to keep loved
ones “alive.”
La Calavera Catrina: This is also called the “elegant
skull.” The image is in close association with the day of the dead. The image
depicts a female skeleton dressed only in a hat. “She is offered as a satirical
portrait of those Mexican natives who, Posada felt, were aspiring to adopt
European aristocratic traditions.” In 1915, she became the icon of the day of
the dead.
Calavera: Also known as a “sugar skull.” Most often, the
decorative or edible skulls made sometimes from hand from “either sugar or clay
which are used in the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead and the Roman
Catholic holiday All Souls' Day.” Jose Posada, who was also the responsible for
creating the “elegant skull” takes ownership of the “sugar skull.” When
decorative the skulls symbolize a loved one. A small skull would represent a
child who died.
Aztecs Calendar: This is the calendar system used by
the Aztecs. Since the Aztecs were the indigenous people to area of Mexico
before Spain’s conquest, many holidays that have Aztec origin are based on this
calendar, such as Day of the Dead. This calendar shares its basic structure
with Mesopotamian calendars.
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