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Published: November 6th 2008
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Well, another week has quickly passed by. This past weekend was the celebration of Day of the Dead, which is a Mexican holiday that honors and remembers those who have passed on. I was really excited to experience it, since I had learned about it so many times in Spanish classes. But at the end of the weekend, I have to say I was a little disappointed. I actually felt like I celebrated Halloween more than I did Day of the Dead. Halloween has obviously become more popular here in Mexico, which actually made me quite sad, as it doesn't mean anything, while Day of the Dead actually has a purpose.
Anyways, Friday night I went to a Halloween party with my family. My host sister and her family are part of the Lions Club, and they were hosting a costume party. I didn't have a costume so my señora took me to a shop and we bought some wings and a halo, I put on a white dress and called myself an angel, which of course as you all know is quite fitting. jaja just kidding. Anyways, we went to the party, and it was pretty fun. Of course
there was a costume competition and so everyone had their name called and had to dance around the room before being judged. Yeah, that was fun. Betito, the grandson in my house, won 1st prize for the children's competition, so he was pretty excited. Not going to lie, I was too because he won a set of play-doh, which I've always been a big fan of. 😊 There was also a dinner and it was just fun to spend time with my family.
Saturday night we had a Day of the Dead celebration/dinner at a woman's house, who is the best friend of my señora, and also a host mother of one of my friend's here. Because our group wasn't able to travel to another city for Day of the Dead like they normally do every year, for safety reasons, all of the students were also invited to the dinner. Every year, my Señora makes some sort of pumpkin dessert, which is made with the whole pumpkin, and some sort of sweet candy. It boiled on the stove all day long, which made our house smell quite delicious, basically like pumpkin pie. (But of course reminded me that I
will be missing Thanksgiving this year...) The celebration was really interesting because before eating someone explained the meaning of Day of the Dead and some history of it. The tradition is to build an altar to honor the dead, and so it was also very interesting to see that as well. The altars typically have photos, candles, flowers, food, (specifically a special type of bread, and maybe favorite foods of the person) or simply just items that represent the people. Some photos of my host parents' relatives are always placed on the altar. Altars are also used as a way to communicate with the spirits and ask them to join us in the celebration. One part of the altar included many candles, with candle holders that said the person's name, to honor that specific person. After the dinner, we went and looked at the altar again, and some of the candles had become very short very quickly, even though all of the candles were lit at the same time. Alma, our program director, explained to us that this signified that these spirits were not peacefully at rest or perhaps were just not in a tranquil state at the moment. After
the dinner/celebration, I once again celebrated Halloween with friends.
On Sunday, my family took me to a cemetery so that I could see how people celebrate there. This was a very interesting experience for me. Families go and decorate the tombstones of the their loved ones, mostly just with many flowers. It was absolutely gorgeous inside the cemetery! As we walked around, I noticed that no one seemed to appear sad. I asked my family about this, and they explained to me that there is no reason to be sad, and one shouldn't be on this day, as it is not meant to be like this. Instead, it is a time in which a family spends time and celebrates with those who have passed on. Many spend all day there, even eating their meals around the graves. After hearing this, it made more sense to me why outside of the cemetery, there were so many food venders and arts and crafts, like you would see at some sort of carnival. But this holiday really is a celebration, it is in no way a tearful day. This is such a cultural difference. I don't really know of anyone who would
a true mummy
Betito likes to do this to me on a daily basis because he knows how much I hate it go to a cemetery to visit their loved ones, and not feel some sort of sadness, or spend the whole day there celebrating. Death is thought of so differently here in Mexico than it is in the United States.
Afterwards we went to a place with all of these different gardens. This had nothing to do with Day of the Dead, it's just a place in Guanajuato that they wanted me to see. There were several different themed gardens, each one unique in it's own way, but equally beautiful. It was a very peaceful and relaxing place, and I really didn't feel like I was in Guanajuato. That night was the finale of the telenovela that my family watches, which was a big event in our house. Unlike in the US, where the soap operas last for years, here in Mexico they only last about 6 months or so. We made homemade hot chocolate (delicous of course) and ate more Day of the Dead bread, and watched the novela.
I've been very busy with school this week. One of my classes ends in two weeks, while the others end the week after that, so it's getting very
a family of mummies
Betito and some other mummies that were there close to the end. This means many projects, presentations, and papers. This weekend our group is going to Mexico City; I'm really looking forward to visiting it again. And then, the week after, my family will be here to visit! 😊
Hope everyone is doing well!
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Kelsey
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How very cool you were able to experience the day of the dead! I've always wondered if people actually decorate the gravestones,etc. That seems like such a better way to honor the dead; celebrate their life rather then mourn their death. Anyway, sounds like it was a very cool experience! We miss you here in Winona (especially hearing how warm it is there!) Have fun when your family visits!!!