Today, I am going to continue with the documentary that I began yesterday and conclude it today. However, I feel I should correct myself a little bit yesterday. Yesterday was All Saints' Day, but most of my blog post was about the events of October 31st, when Mexico has their world renowned celebration where they dress up. November 1st and 2nd are celebrated in a different way and I will address those today. I will finish discussion on the 2nd part of the documentary and also discuss the 3rd part for today's post.
All Saints' Day revisited
BBC Documentary Part 2 cont.
The image above is a typical scene one would see on All Saints' Day in Mexico as Mexicans decorate the graves of their loved ones. Before this, the families begin preparations for their deceased loved ones' favorite dishes. They do such because of an understanding of how their loved ones will return and want something they enjoyed when they were alive. When the journalist visits with a local historian, she states that just before a local grandmother passed away, she wanted to make sure her family knew how to properly make her favorite dish so that she would be able to enjoy it more when her spirit returned. (BBC 9:01)
The second part of this day is when the spirits of the deceased children return and visit the ofrendas of their family or other families if they do not have any family alive. The Mexican people truly believe that the spirits have come back and notice this with signs of a breeze and a movement of the smoke from incense after the local church signals at 3:00 p.m. that the spirits have arrived. The journalist even acknowledged the presence of the spirits when he said, "I'm not particularly a sentimental person...and I don't believe in ghosts, but...there is a huge sense of a build up to something...," as if he could feel a presence of their spirits. (BBC 12:11) The ofrenda is clearly represented in this section as the family begin to decorate it with food for the spirits of their deceased family members. When the journalist asks why they do such, the daughter replies, "The altar has great significance in this village. What we are putting on now signifies life and abundance, what the Earth has given us, and what our loved one use to enjoy when they were alive. That's why we're offering the best fruit of the season." (BBC 15:28)
BBC Documentary Part 3
The final part of this day is when the families go to the cemeteries to decorate the graves of their family members (as is seen with the first image). After decorating the graves, the cemetery becomes place of celebration for the living as they stay for hours and celebrate with each other and spirits that are present. They try to create a peaceful environment for the spirits within the cemetery so that the spirits may return in a calm manner. This can be seen with the local Catholic church performing songs and chants to call upon the spirits. (BBC 0:40) All of these actions within the cemetery are common because the people possess a close relationship with death and embrace this even during their lifetime. When the journalist asked the daughter if she would still have a humorous understanding of death if she were to die the next day, she replies, "Yes. It makes it easier, it's in our hands, life is short and only in death are we really alive." (BBC 1:23)
All Souls' Day
The final day is quite similar to the events of the previous day as this is when the spirits of the deceased adults return. The families prepare a feast for not only themselves but for their deceased relatives, usually of their favorite dishes. After that, the families go to the ofrenda again as the church signals the return of the adult spirits. It has a similar spiritual connection with the dead that the previous day did in which the presence of the spirits are felt. After the initial return of the adult spirits, the dinner for the evening is served (first to the spirits on the ofrenda and then to the rest of the families). The adult spirits are then guided by the sound of fireworks back to their realm until next year. This experience is not one of sadness, but one of anticipation for the families in Mexico as it will give them something to look forward to next year. This is evident when the journalist compares his views with that of the Mexican people when he says "...you don't just acknowledge the death once, you can look forward to the return as long as you live." (BBC 9:52) After the spirits have left, the families continue to feast and drink to their lives and to the memories of the spirits.
Sources Cited:
BBC. “Feasts – Mexico 2 of 3 – BBC Culture Documentary Dia De Los Muertos.” YouTube Web site. YouTube video file. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFt8-WdstQA (accessed 1 November 2013)
BBC. “Feasts – Mexico 3 of 3 – BBC Culture Documentary – Dia de los Muertos.” YouTube Web site. YouTube video player. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl25Uf9RpdA (accessed 1 November 2013)
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