MEXICO : Mexicans commemorate the Day of the Dead.

Day of the Dead commemorations continued in Mexico on Wednesday (November 01). In Toluca, Mexico, entire families arrived at cemeteries to clean the graves of their deceased loved ones. There, they placed offerings, candles and flowers on the tombs, and offered the dead their favourite foods and objects as a sign of comfort. Mourners tended rows of crosses in the cemetery, and laid marigolds on the graves, which according to traditional beliefs helps guide the spirits of the dead back to their loved ones. "It's a tradition that hopefully will never, never be forgotten and won't be mixed with that of the United States-- the famous Halloween which is really just entertainment, in which children play tricks," said one visitor to the cemetery. According to Mexican tradition, families spend the night talking, eating and singing beside the graves, sharing the night with the spirits. The celebration, observed throughout Mexico and much of Central America, is one of the most important national celebrations and mixes ancient Indian tradition with the Christian beliefs brought by the Spanish. "They'll never be forgotten. That's a feeling that we have. Whether it's 2, 3, 4 years, we will always have a certain feeling toward these people who are here, for whom we come to leave things. In my case, it's for my mother who, one or two years ago, died at 49 years of age," said another visitor. The celebration, observed throughout Mexico and much of Central America, is one of the most important national celebrations and mixes ancient Indian tradition with the Christian beliefs brought by the Spanish.

ITN Source | November 4, 2006

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