If you want to buy a home in Playa del Carmen Real Estate, you must know some traditions, and what better than experiencing one of the most popular Mexican Traditions around the world.
Origins
The origins of the DÃa de Muertos are heritage from the Aztec festivals. These festivals celebrated the goddess Mictecacihuatl in the Mesoamerican cultures and other indigenous tribes, like the Maya. Still, the common belief of these Mesoamerican tribes was that the dead visited their loved ones, and they received them with food, drinks, and rituals on celebrating their visit. However, it is now a celebration all over Mexico and even in some parts of the world. These festivities are now a mix of indigenous and Christian rituals and are not the same as they used to be before the evangelization.
Evangelization
One of the changes is the date of the festivities. In the center of Mexico, they celebrated the Day of the Dead in August. However, with the arrival and influence of Christianity, the dates changed to match All Hallows’ Eve and All Saint’s Day. Currently, the Day of the Dead is some kind of mixture of rituals and beliefs.
As a celebration on November 1 and 2, the Day of the Dead is an annual tradition, in which the living honor the dead, to guide them into the afterlife and celebrate their visit to the world of the living for that night .November 1 is when they receive the souls of dead children, while the following day is for dead adults. The ritual, more than celebrating death, is celebrating the new beginning.
World Heritage
The Day of the Dead is one of Mexico’s most popular traditions worldwide. Nowadays, people associate it with Catrinas, cemetery vigils, and Halloween. However, the DÃa de Muertos celebrations have little to do with Halloween festivities. The Day of the Dead is so significant culturally that in 2008 it was declared a UNESCO event of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The Mayans had other traditions similar but not exactly the same as the celebrations in the center of Mexico. There was no Day of the Dead because they did not have a specific date to honor their deceased. Instead, they celebrated them on different occasions, and this tradition is called the “Hanal pixán,â€Â or food for the souls of the dead.
Hanal Pixan
In Riviera Maya the popular celebration of DÃa de Muertos starts by setting up altars honoring the deceased’s life. The decoration of these altars includes cempasúchil flowers and candles. It also has sugar-made skulls and ofrendas (offerings). Among these oferings there are the dead’s favorite drinks or foods, pictures, and personal possessions. Sometimes there are even things like cigarettes, bottles of Tequila, cans of beer or soda, and any other paraphernalia of the deceased’s taste!
Some other common traditions include the eating of pan de Muerto, a sweet bread covered in sugar with a round shape, and “bone shapes†on top. Placing clay pots with hot cocoa is also widespread across Mexico’s altars to the death. Some children and even adults paint their faces as skulls or Catrina. “Hanal pixánâ€Â also has some traditions of its own.
The most characteristic element in the celebration is the Mukbil-pollo or pib (buried in Mayan). It is a big tamale or corn cake, with pork stews and various spices, in a mix within a thick corn broth. The mixture is wrapped with banana leaves and it’s put inside a hole in the earth, with a limestone base. They then heat the bottom with firewood, put the pib to cook ,and cover it with the dug-up soil.. This food is the main dish on the table of the Hanal pixán.
Celebrating Hanal Pixan at Home in Playa del Carmen Real Estate
The celebrations in Playa del Carmen have more to do with the Mayan tradition of receiving the death in their homes. As this is a multicultural town, the traditions are a mix of rituals from all over Mexico.
Apart from the traditions that each celebrate at home in Playa del Carmen, you will see some of these altars all over the fifth avenue. Thre you will also see some children and adults in Catrinas and Catrines disguises. The famous Xcaret’s Festival de Vida y Muerte is a must-see and there you may experience this popular Mexican tradition.
Come and experience the day of the dead by setting an altar at your Playa del Carmen home. Contact one of our representatives if you need more information about buying a home in Mexico.