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Curious Facts

5 curious facts about the Day of the Dead
Curious Facts

5 curious facts about the Day of the Dead

By Kiwilimón - 2018-12-13T13:37:15.49082Z
Besides being the most awaited holiday of the year (of course, after Christmas), Día de Muertos is a date full of history and very special for Mexicans. If you also eagerly await November just to eat pan de muerto and decorate with cempasúchil, then you'll surely enjoy knowing these 5 curious facts about Día de Muertos:

  1. It is a UNESCO World Heritage.

For the past 15 years, the celebration of Día de Muertos has been proclaimed Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. In this way, the international organization recognizes the value of the indigenous tradition and the cultural richness of this celebration. (In case you were wondering: Halloween is not considered cultural heritage).

  1. It is a very ancient celebration.

Some historians believe that the tradition of Día de Muertos originated over 3,000 years ago among the Aztec and Toltec cultures. At that time, pre-Columbian societies viewed crying for the dead as a sign of disrespect, and instead preferred to celebrate their memory. This is how the festivities (which used to last a month) to honor the dead emerged.

  1. The dates have not always been the same.

Pre-Hispanic cultures held these celebrations in the ninth month of the Mexica solar calendar. With the Conquest, indigenous customs blended with Catholic traditions, leading to the fusion of Spanish celebrations of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day with indigenous festivities to honor the dead.

  1. The celebrations vary from place to place.

Although it is a national holiday, the way of celebrating is not the same in all states. For example, in Campeche, some people have the custom of extracting the bones of their deceased to clean them, while in Michoacán, there is a tradition of spending the night in the cemetery next to the graves of their loved ones.

  1. The migration of the monarch butterfly is related.

Interestingly, around these dates, the migration of the monarch butterfly occurs from Canada to Mexico. According to Aztec tradition, ancestors could return in the form of butterflies or hummingbirds, so this natural phenomenon is very timely for the festivities. Do you know any other curious facts about Día de Muertos? Share them in the comments. Get ready to celebrate on November 2 with typical Mexican dishes:   Sources: