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What is Días de
Los Muertos
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Los Días de Los Muertos is a well-established pre-Columbian tradition and ritual ceremony among the native peoples of Mexico. Dating from as early as 1800 BCE, archeologists in Mexico have found evidence of ritual associated with death and how to treat the dead. Tombs have been found in different areas of the country, coming from different cultures of indigenous people, which show that the ancient peoples treated the dead in a special way. They built tombs which held pottery and ceramic pieces, food and grains and other bits and pieces the person who passed on might need on their journey. They built gods and goddesses to represent their visions of death, and they celebrated the dead. They painted their faces and danced; they ate the "food of the dead."
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From the ancient Mayans to the Zapotecs, from the Olmecs to the Aztecs, every culture had special rituals and celebrations concerning the dead. One ritual that has survived among Mexicans and indigenous peoples, and that links cultures around the world is that of "food for the dead." From ancient Egyptian cultures where giant pyramids were built and loaded with food for the journey across the river Sphinx, to Chinese cultures where giant clay armies loaded with real provisions marched with their leader on his journey of death, food played an important role in celebrating the passage that all felt was inevitable upon death. In many of the Mexican myths of the journey, a river also exists, and a dog that will help you on your way after you have paid for his services with the tortillas that have been packed in your coffin. Even until today, after being colonized for so many years, the Mexican and indigenous peoples still celebrate Días de Los Muertos. In the ancient times, the celebration lasted for two months, one month for the infants and one month for the adults. Today, with the everlasting influence of the Roman Catholic Church, the rituals have been combined to celebrate All Souls Day and All Saints Day. The ability of the indigenous people to combine their rituals with the rites of the Church has happened over differnt centuries and different cultures. In modern celebrations of Días de Los Muertos, ancient rituals are still part of the celebration, not only in Mexico, but in the United States as well. If one cannot go home to celebrate, one can build an altar for the dead and leave a path of flower petals for them to find it. This is what happens at their birthplace, and this is what happens in their new "adopted" home. There are special flowers to be placed, and bread for the dead to be made, as well as special tamales and favorite foods of the loved ones, including mole. These foods are prepared fresh and are to be shared with the dead to let them know we haven't forgotten them and we will always cherish them.
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