Dias De Los Muertos 

 

     Days of the Dead or Días de los Muertos observance varies by region and by degree of urbanization. This celebration is a diabolic ritual and is not Christian nor is it biblical. The Days of the Dead is an ancient Aztec celebration of the memory of deceased ancestors celebrated on November 1 (All Saints Day) and November 2 (All Souls' Day). The souls of children are believed to return first on November 1, with adult spirits following on November 2. The holiday is especially popular in Mexico where it is a national holiday, and is celebrated in the Philippines, Brazil, in Mexican-American communities in the United States, and to a lesser extent in other Latin American countries.

 

      The original celebration can be traced to many Mesoamerican’s native traditions, such as the festivities held during the Aztec month of Miccailhuitontli, presided by the "Lady of the Dead" (Mictecacihuatl), and dedicated to children and the dead. Real Christians are children of the Light and not of darkness and death. A real Christian would never celebrate death and dying. In the Aztec calendar, this ritual fell roughly at the end of the Gregorian month of July and the beginning of August. In the post-conquest era, the ritual was moved by Spanish priests to coincide with the Catholic holiday of All Hallows Eve. This was an attempt to transform the observance from a pagan and profane “holy day” to a Catholic celebration. The result is Latinos celebrate the day of the dead during the first two days of November, rather than at the beginning of summer. The modern festivity is characterized by the traditional Mexican blend of ancient, aboriginal pagan rites and Catholic anti-scriptural features.

     Generalizing broadly, the holiday's activities consist of families welcoming their dead back into their homes (necromancy, an abomination to God), and visiting the graves of their close kin. At the cemetery, family members engage in sprucing up the gravesite, decorating it with flowers, setting a picnic, and interacting socially with other family and community members who gather there. In both cases, celebrants believe that the souls of the dead return and are all around them. The Bible states a soul either goes to heaven or hell and does not leave that present state until Judgment Day. Families remember the departed by telling stories about them. The meals prepared for these picnics usually feature meat dishes in spicy sauces, chocolate beverages, cookies, sugary confections in a variety of animal or skull shapes, and a special egg-batter bread, "pan de muerto" or bread of the dead. This celebration elevates the culture of death instituted by the devil.

     Gravesites and family altars are profusely decorated with flowers (primarily large, bright flowers such as marigolds and chrysanthemums), and adorned with religious amulets and with offerings of food, cigarettes, and alcoholic beverages. The dead spirits are elevated to a position of a god and given offerings, which is idolatry. The Bible states idolatry is an abomination to God almighty. Amulets are tokens or symbols that are supposed to ward off evil spirits. Amulets are a myth, which deceive people into thinking they are safe from evil. The precious blood of Jesus Christ applied to a sinner’s soul, the Holy Scriptures, and God Himself are the way a person can be kept from evil, the evil one, and evil spirits. A trinket has no power over anything.

Portions from Salvador, R. J. (2003). What Do Mexicans Celebrate On The Day Of The Dead? Pp. 75-76, IN Death And Bereavement In The Americas. Death, Value And Meaning Series, Vol. II. Morgan, J. D. And P. Laungani (Eds.) Baywood Publishing Co., Amityville, New York. Available online at: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rjsalvad/scmfaq/muertos.html

     Flowers which are thought to attract souls of the dead are brought  to the offerings. Toys are brought for dead children (los angelitos, or little angels), and bottles of tequila, mezcal, pulque or atole for adults. Families will also offer trinkets or the deceased's favorite candies on the grave. Ofrendas are also put in homes, usually with foods such as candied pumpkin, pan de muerto, or sugar skulls and beverages such as atole. The ofrendas are left out in the homes as a welcoming gesture for the deceased. Some people believe the spirits of the dead eat the "spiritual essence" of the ofrenda food, so even though the celebrators eat the food after the festivity, they believe it lacks nutritional value. The pillows and blankets are left out so that the deceased can rest after their long journey. In some parts of Mexico, such as the towns of Mixquic, Pátzcuaro and Janitzio, people spend all night beside the graves of their relatives.

     In the town of Pátzcuaro on the Lago de Pátzcuaro in Michoacán the tradition is dancing with colorful costumes, often with skull-shaped masks and devil masks in the plaza or garden of the town. At midnight on November 2, the people light candles and ride winged boats called mariposas (Spanish for "butterfly") to Cuiseo, an island in the middle of the lake where there is a cemetery, to honor and celebrate the lives of the dead there. In some parts of the country, children in costumes roam the streets, asking passersby for a calaverita, a small gift of money; they don't knock on people's doors.

    There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times…a consulter with familiar spirits (séances), or a wizard, or a necromancer (a person who communicates with dead spirits). For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD… Deut. 18:10-12.

 

Back to Holidays

last generation ~ www.lastgeneration.us