Dia de los Muertos translated to Day of the dead in English is a famous holiday celebrated in Mexico every year on November 1. It is thought that by doing this celebration we are celebrating death but it is the opposite, by celebrating El Dia de los Muertos we are remembering our relatives. In this special day altars are set up with candles lit up and the reason of this it is so that spirits can find their way home. The altar offers spirits their favorite food and in general their favorite things that they used to enjoy when they were around us. The most familiar symbol of this special day celebrated most typically in Mexico and in border cities such as Ciudad Juarez and El Paso Texas are calacas (skeletons) or calaveras (skulls). This ritual was started by the Aztecs about 3,000 years ago [1]. It is believe that on October 31 the doors of heaven open and all of the deceased persons can reunited with their family this is a …show more content…
reason for the candles and the flowers on the altars (as mentioned before) it serves as light and aroma on their way home so that they know they are going the right way. Every altar is different and original, altars can be offered to common persons and to artists. What caught my attention one day when I was listening to the radio is that the different levels of an altar have a meaning. For example, if an altar has only two levels it is representing heaven and earth. If the altar has three steps it represents heaven, earth and Purgatory and they also mentioned that the third level can represent another world. There are also seven level altars and this seven levels are the levels you reach in order to get to heaven. This celebration is mostly a Catholicism festivity and this is one of the reasons most altars also include a cross. This year I had the opportunity to contribute to this great way of expressing my Mexican ancestry, I was able to get into a team and for the first time in my life build an altar. As mentioned before in this essay, skeletons are commonly use to represent the death person and In my team we used a skull representing the famous “soldadera” Petra Herrera.
We dressed the skeleton with a dress, a sombrero and a rifle representing how Petra Herrera used to dress like. We decided to dedicate an altar to Petra Herrera for her greatest contribution to Mexican History and because of her African ancestry. Petra was distinguished by being one of the few female soldiers that went into combat with men despite having faced abuse by her fellow soldiers. During the Mexican Revolution she went by the name of Pedro Herrera and by doing this she was able to demonstrate leadership skills and was able to establish reputation. [2] According to mexfiles.net Petra Herrera participated in the second battle of Torreón on May 30, 1914 along with about 400 other women, even being named by some as being deserving of full credit for the battle. [4] As a result of Pancho villa’s “Machismo” Petra was not promoted to general because of her gender and her response to this decision was leaving the forces and creating her own all-woman brigade
[5]. Preparing an altar for the first time in my life made me realize how beautiful it is to remember our dead ones this way. It is a great way students and other people can get knowledge about their ancestors and the great contributions they made to our history. What I learn from installing this altar is the importance of African contribution in my life, it is not easy to build an altar that includes exactly everything needed on an altar and that I will continue this beautiful tradition every year because it was great contributing to this celebration.
Dia de los reyes magos is on Jan. 5 - Feb. 2 and the day is about the 3 wisemen, But January the 6th is the special day in Mexico….. this day represents the height of the Christmas season. This celebration is where it is stated that the kings, Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthasar, traveled by night all the way from the farthest confines of the Earth to bring gifts to Jesus, whom they recognized as the Son of God. As well as regal, the Three Kings are depicted as wise men, whose very wisdom is proved by their acknowledgement of Christ's divine status. Arrived from three different directions, the kings followed the light provided by the star of Bethlehem, which reportedly lingered over the manger where the Virgin Mary gave birth for many days. In
9Belayck Benibo, “Anglo- and Mexican American Attitudes Toward Selena’s Memorialization,” Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences February 1999: page 78 paragraph 5.
In digging the day of the dead a distinction between Dia de los Muertos and Halloween is made, the purpose, to highlight the differences and showing the importance and significance of Dia de los Muertos. This ethnography begins by loosely describing Halloween in American culture, it is described as a day where “children dress up as grotesque corpses” and a celebration empty of historic or cultural significance and knowledge. The author Juanita Garciagodoy, later goes on to describe Dia de los Muertos in a romanticized way, by statin that the dead “are not forgotten or excluded from recollections, prayer, or holidays because they are no longer visible” Garciagodoy then goes on to tell a heartfelt story about a couple one holding on to tradition,
In the Hispanic culture, The Day of the Dead is a very special holiday celebrated in Hispanic communities. The Day of The Dead is a celebration that last two days. It occurs on November 1 and 2. On November 1, they have a celebration for the young. On November 2, they give honor to family members who have passed away. Traditionally they set up alters in their homes with pictures, candles, foods, and many other decorations. They believe this holiday connects them to their dead ancestors and allows the spirits to be welcomed back. It is one of the biggest celebrations in Hispanic communities and is a very meaningful celebration. One of the specific holidays that is celebrated in the US is called Martian Luther King Jr. Day. This day is in honor of Martian Luther King Jr. and his fight for civil rights. His actions have had a huge impact on America and has become a role model for not only African Americans, but for everyone. He died for fighting for what was right and is honored on this day only in America. Both the Hispanic and US cultures have their own specific holidays only celebrated in these
Cinco de Mayo, also known as the Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, is a national holiday in Mexico that commemorates the 1862 Mexican victory over the French forces of Napoleon III in Puebla, Mexico. This holiday, celebrated on the fifth of May, has deep roots in Mexican culture, but in American-Mexican culture as well. Cinco de Mayo serves as a proud reminder of an unlikely victory, as well as a day to express and cherish Mexican pride and heritage.
The roots for this celebration can be found in other literary celebrations and programs, including Children’s Book Week and National Library Week as well as summer reading programs and programs like Every Child Ready to Read. Typically these programs seek to focus attention on the joy of reading, sharing books, and encouraging literacy.
The infamous "Day of the Dead" or dia de los muertos actually takes place over a period of 2 days. It is the largest and most elaborate celebration in mexico all year long, its even bigger than Christmas. In the past, this period marked the time when the deceased could return to the world of the living and visit their loved ones, but now it is usually a time to celebrate, remember, and pray for their souls.
The traditions my parents instilled in me at a young age are important to me. They are part of my Latin culture and identity. One of the most important traditions that I value the most is our devotion to “La Virgen de Guadalupe” (The Virgin of Guadalupe), and although I don't go to church or share a specific a religion, I believe in La Virgen as a protector and a guardian figure and maintain her presence in my daily life.
Different cultures have different holiday traditions. At this time of year different cultures are preparing to celebrate Halloween or the Día de los Muertos.These two holidays occur around the same time of year. October 31st is Halloween and the Day of the Dead begins on November 1st and ends on November 2nd. Halloween is an American tradition and the Day of the Dead is celebrated in Mexico, and other Latin American countries. Both holidays share some similarities but also have some differences.Some common themes between the two holidays are food and religion. For example, Pumpkin is associated with both holidays. And Christianity is the religion associated with both holidays. The symbols for these holidays share some similarities , for example skulls. While Halloween also is associated with ghosts and witches. A big
El Dia de los Muertos was brought to the United States when Mexican-Americans underwent a cultural reawakening in the early 1970s. The holiday's popularity has since spread to other races and cultures. The Day of the Dead celebrates life past and present, and not just death alone. Revelers construct ofrendas, the offerings of food, drinks, cigarettes, toys, and candy, set out for returning souls. Revelers take joy in honoring the dead, usually with music, dancing, crafts and food.
...parts of the celebration, October 31st, November 1st, and finally November 2nd. On October 31st, it is seen that the kid’s souls return. November 1st is considered the adult’s day of returning, and November 2nd is when all souls have returned from the dead and there is a big celebration. People of Mexico celebrate by making many baked goods and cooking meals, making objects such as masks and decorating papers and toy coffins to prepare for the return of the souls.
Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday that means fifth of May in English. It is celebrated all over the world, in many different ways. It is celebrated because it is in remembrance of the Mexican army’s victory of the 1862 Battle of Puebla during the Franco Mexican War against France. This holiday is actually just a minor holiday in Mexico, it is more celebrated in America by the more populated areas with Mexican Americans. One of the largest places in is Los Angeles, California, where it is a large party with food, dancing, parades. A lot of people get this holiday and their independence day mixed up. Their independence day is actually on September 16th. This holiday is also known as the Battle of Puebla.
In Mexico, this holiday occurs on the day of October 31 and ending on November 2. They have believed that on October 31 the gates of heaven and let the souls of the children roam on Earth on November 1. Then on November 2, they once again open the gates for the adults to roam on Earth. The celebration of Dia De Los Muertos may take years of planning or maybe shorter. This day, they believed that the soul comes back and visit their loved ones. They also believe that even if they don’t see their beloved that had passed away, they can surely feel their presence. To the family, it is very important to them because this day, the family reunites and honors their loved ones that had passed away and ancestors.
Since thanksgiving is coming up, I’ve been reflecting on the things I’m thankful for that I don't thank often enough. One of those things is you. I'm very glad I had you in Spanish for both sixth and seventh grade because you really brought out my love of Spanish. I never thought I had it in me to learn another language but with your help I got an amazing start with Spanish. You always encouraged us students to learn Spanish so that we could actually know it, not just to get our worksheets done. Your Spanish classes have motivated me to continue learning Spanish even after high school.
In the Hispanic culture such as Guatemala and Mexico, the Dia de Los Mortos is celebrate on November 1st and 2nd. Families’ getter to go to the cemeteries together; they clean the graveyard and bring flowers to their loved ones. They also decorate skulls with the name of the departed written on the forehead. Many