03 Nov
Mexico`s Day of the Dead in Playa del Carmen Xcaret Park
Have you ever wondered how you would spend Halloween living in Mexico or how the Mexicans celebrate the day of the dead My husband and I took a day off from our Playa del Carmen real estate activities last friday to spend Halloween with our Canadian friends at the Xcaret water park I was very pleased at the event and our friends absorbed all of the singing, the story telling, the plays, and the Mexican traditions of honoring the dead ceremonies I was happy with the representation of the various traditions that the park displayed as there are many customs depending on the region of Mexico.
The first picture above for example are candy skulls These skulls are purchased with the name of a friend, family member, or co-worker printed upon the forehead You then prepare a short poem, describing in a humoruous manner the method or the way that such person will most likely pass away Mexicans tend to view death, they try to view this event or lighten the tragedy with humor and laughter
The calacas (skeletons) seen on the right, are normally dressed up in various methods Dressed as taxi cab drivers, as baseball players, as bankers in various activities and are also given as gifts to loved ones The most famous calaca, is LA CATRINA La Catrina, a female skeleton normally dressed in a pink dress, is death that lives amongst the living She will appear to the living, when death is very near She is very nicely dressed with jewelery to symbolize or to remind us that when you pass away, you will pass with none of your earthly items Also to remember, when La Catrina leaves you or you no longer see her, since she only lives with the living, it is most likely you have passed on to the other side.
Another Mexican tradition is the creation of the Altar Within homes, on the first of November, the people who have lost a loved one within the past year, will prepare this special shrine Normally you will see a picture of the recently deceased, and various favorite items of the person This is usually the favorite snacks, drinks, foods and even cigarettes and cigars On the night of the first, the ghost will find a path made from bright orange Mexican Marigold flowers leading from the street upto the house and into the room of the alterAt the Altar, the spirit will eat the soul of the food and then return to heaven The following day the living will have a large feast with the food that remains from the altar On your left, as we are in suba diving country, the people from Xcaret park paid tribute to the scuba divers of the Mexican Caribbean shores
In many parts of Mexico, during these holidays, people go to the graves of their loved ones to decorate, bring the favorite foods, celebrate and remember This tradition is most famous from the state of Morelia on the beautiful island of Pascauro Here in Xcaret, the tombs were one of the main attractions of the evening as hundreds of visitors both Mexicans and foreigners weaved through the grave yard appreciating the wonderfully decorated plots Their are many Mexican traditions and customs for the Day of the Dead week Some are a mix of the past from Spain, some from the Aztec influences and others even from the Mayan ancient civilazations In another post, I will share some of the beliefs and customs from the Mayan history Day of Dead.
Bea Lozano
(512)879-6546
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