Day Of The Dead Research Paper

Culture is one of many common denominators that portrays the beliefs, customs, values, and languages of modern day society. Furthermore, culture serves as a defining principle of how people live and what type of person they develop into throughout the never-ending process of time. Another essential aspect of culture is that it helps outline a definite sketch of the learned and shared human patterns that surround numerous civilizations. Deriving from a predominantly Mexican heritage, one of the most dynamic and influential aspects of Hispanic culture is “Dia de Los Muertos.”

Although the Day of the Dead is considered to be an American custom, the reality is that this festivity originated during the era of the Aztec empire. During this summer

celebration, the Aztecs commemorated the memories of those who died by constructing elaborate altars to welcome home the spirits of the departed. Aside from welcoming the dead, the Aztecs also celebrated this festivity in dedication to the goddess of death known as the “Lady of the Dead.” As time passed, this festivity flourished into a national holiday all across Latin America through the introduction of Catholicism by Spanish conquistadors.

Rather than mourning the death of the departed, the Day of the Dead celebrates the lives of the deceased with food, drinks, and activities held for three days before the souls of the dead return to their graves. A customary ritual that the majority of people do is to have “Ofrendas” or food placed outside the home as a hospitable gesture for the dead spirits. Even though the food is consumed after the celebration, may people assume that the food lacks essential and nutritional value since the souls of the departed take the spiritual essence out of the “Ofrendas.” Another tradition that people perform during the Day of the Dead is the cleaning and decorating of graves of deceased family members. Furthermore, one of the most distinguishable symbols used during the celebration of the Day of the Dead is the sugar skull. Even though sugar skulls are used to decorate the gravesite of the departed, the skull serves as the personification of death. Unlike other

cultures, Hispanics believe that the skull does not imply death rather it signifies that a person is stepping forward into a greater level of consciousness. Moreover, a distinctive quality of “Dia de los Muertos” is that it recognizes death as an ordinary part of human nature representing every cycle of life ranging from birth to death. Aside from the symbol of mortality, the decorations around the skull possess different types of symbolism. For example, the flowers around the skull represent life while the candles on the inside of the skull’s eyes act as a sign of remembrance. Another iconic symbol that is integrated into the festivity is the marigold flower. Just like the sugar skull, the marigold is distinguished as the flower of death since it has the power to attract the souls of the dead. Contrary to the symbol of death, the marigold also represents happiness and is symbolic of life because it reveals that life continues to exist beyond death. Furthermore, the Day of the Dead is also symbolic since it acknowledges the contribution people hold within everyday society.
Just like other cultures and traditions, everything in this universe contains a prospective meaning waiting to be exposed.

According to Aristotle, humans continually seek the meaning of things since it is our nature to desire knowledge. A unique aspect of the world of meaning is that it composes elements of the past, present, and future. Also, the world of meaning is far beyond complex that it allows humans to discover a greater understanding of things. Even though the Day of the Dead signifies death, the authentic meaning behind this commemoration is that it allows Hispanics to remember where their ancestral roots originated. Aside from this meaning, the Day of the Dead allows me to visualize my family’s life journey. By commemorating the death of my ancestors, it has allowed me to mature into a hardworking and loyal person since I learned to value every sacrifice and struggle that my family endured throughout the years. Furthermore, one of the most influential aspects that gradually shapes me every day is the fact that you should be honored by your heritage no matter where life’s journey may take you. Aside from this, one of the most important things that I have learned from Day of the Dead is the fact that holidays or celebrations are not the only time that you can truly show others what makes your culture so unique and influential in modern

society.
Even though “Dia de Los Muertos” is a traditional Latin American tradition, other cultures throughout the world celebrate this day by visiting the sepulchers of deceased family members. For example, in Africa, people ask for protection from their ancestors after leaving food and gifts in the graves of their forefathers. Unlike African culture, Chinese and Japanese cultures tend and honor the graves of departed during the “Ghost Month” since ghosts and spirits come out of the underworld to prowl freely on earth. Furthermore, in the Korean culture one of the major holiday’s is chuseok in which ancestral worship rituals are performed. Finally, during the traditional Indian celebration Gai Jatra, family members craft tai from bamboo, cloth, and paper decorations. Just like the sugar skull, the cow serves as the symbol of the afterlife since it leads departed souls into the afterlife.