A2 RIHLA #19

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The Day of the Dead, which is known as Dia de los Muertos by Spanish-speakers, was a ritual that was started by indigenous natives and unsuccessfully tried to be stopped by Spanish conquistadors. This holiday has, since its inception, been celebrated for around 3,000 years by not only Mexico, but other Latin American countries as well, and was celebrated in order to honor deceased family members by visiting their graves and leaving gifts, such as food and favorite items, that the dead would need in order to live in the afterlife. Since the original idea of the holiday, The Day of the Dead has since been mixed into various other cultures and Christianity. My reaction towards this article is mixed because I am mainly judging on the fact that Spanish conquistadors would try to take something away from the natives who were living the land that they were standing on before they even settled on their "newly" discovered land. People do not have a given right to take over something that is not their own even if they are technologically more advanced than those who were already living there. On the other hand, seeing how the Spanish were not able to take away the holiday from the natives, The Day of The Dead has since lasted through centuries of numerous gatherings of people to honor their loved ones. While my immediate family does not celebrate this holiday, I believe my family from the past has. This article relates to class because while we are learning about how the Spanish overthrew many native civilizations, what those natives celebrated through the years is very important for all of us to learn about. The Day of the Dead has lived through around 3,000 years of joyful celebration and will hopefully live through 3,000 or more years of the same as well.

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