The Day of the Dead celebrations can be traced back to the various indigenous groups, such as the Aztecs and other pre-Hispanic civilizations, from as far back as 3000 years ago. Skulls were collected and used during rituals to symbolize death and rebirth.The skull, which symbolizes death and/or rebirth, is used for All Souls’ Day. With regard to the Day of the Dead, elaborately decorated skulls, including those made of candy, are made for the day. The Marigold is a traditional flower that is associated with the dead. Some say that the flower represents the rays of the sun, which is linked with life, so the deceased have not lost their place in the universe. The raven and the crow have both been linked with death, although some say that the crow tends to be confused with the raven, which they claim is the true symbol associated with death.
Found this amazing video early this morning (and I do mean early) and was struck by the beauty of not only the animation but of the story/message. No religious imagery whatsoever, and that's as it should be. It's also a great video to teach kids not to fear the dead, or death. In a colorful, high spirited, joyful kind of way.
I will probably ruffle a few feathers with the "no religious imagery" comment, but the holiday WAS co-opted by the Roman Church in the Dale Carnegie kind of way, with all the guilt, fear, and angst that invokes. To my mind, seeing the holiday portrayed like this is refreshing.
And so it goes.
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I will attend my first Day of The Dead today.
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