The Meaning of Cempasúchil

The cempasúchil flower is the one we most commonly see on altars for the dead, but why do we put them there? Our friends from ActitudFem share more information on this topic. Cempasúchil means twenty flowers, or flower of twenty petals in Nahuatl. It can be used to relieve cramps and stomach ailments, but in Mexico, it is primarily used on altars for the dead. The flowers are mainly cultivated in the states of Chiapas, State of Mexico, Morelos, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Tlaxcala, Oaxaca, and Veracruz, and symbolize the transience of life and the duality between life and death. It is said that the god Huitzilopochtli granted them to the Aztecs as a way to mark the graves of the deceased. The petals of the flowers are used to form paths that, because of their color, guide the deceased to their altar; in addition to providing fragrance, making the stay pleasant for the departed.   View original article   Pan de Muerto Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon Calaverita Cookies