Mexico is a country that attracts many tourists every year. Beautiful beaches, interesting architecture, unusual cuisine - all this makes an indelible impression. But there is something in Mexican culture that can shock a foreigner.
People who are not familiar with Mexican culture, when visiting this country, are shocked by the abundance of skulls and skeletons. Tourists are offered brightly painted skulls as souvenirs and fabrics with skulls. These terrible symbols of death can be seen on national holidays. Even in clothing and headwear stores, there are mannequins that look like skeletons.
To understand the origins of the Mexican death cult, you will have to turn to the history of this country.
The origins of the cult of death
In the Middle Ages, the Aztec empire existed on the territory of modern Mexico. In the culture of this people, unlike in Europe, death has never been a taboo topic. The Aztecs were concerned about their posthumous fate no less than the Christians, only the conditions for going to heaven in their religions were different. Warriors who died in battle and women who died during childbirth could count on a happy posthumous fate. Those who died peacefully in old age were met in the afterlife by the god Miktlantecuitli, who wears a mask in the form of a skull, and doomed the soul to complete destruction.
Such beliefs were forced to value life as much as possible and placate death with sacrifices so that it would not rush to take a person. Thus was born the cult of death, inherited by modern Mexican culture from the Aztecs.
The cult of death received a new impetus during the civil war that began in 1920, which demanded heroic self-sacrifice from many Mexicans.
In modern Mexican culture, a special attitude towards death remains. Mexicans call her "Black Lady", "Holy Death" and even "beloved" or "bride".
The day of the Dead
The quintessence of the Mexican cult of death is the Day of the Dead, which is celebrated on November 1-2. Here there is an interaction of two traditions - pagan and Christian.
The Aztecs had two festivals of the dead: Mikkailuitontli was dedicated to deceased children, and Socotuetzi to adults. These holidays were combined with the day of remembrance of the dead, which the Catholic Church celebrates on November 2 - immediately after All Saints Day. The indigenous people of Mexico rethought Christian customs: they perceived prayers for the dead as an appeal to the dead themselves, and the alms that Christians usually give for the dead were considered a sacrifice to the dead themselves.
The tradition of celebrating the Day of the Dead was taken up by immigrants from Europe and continues in modern Mexico. On November 1 and 2, Mexicans not only visit the graves of their loved ones, but also arrange solemn processions and turn to the Lady of Death with a request to bestow health, happiness and take away enemies as soon as possible. Children these days are given sugar skulls and chocolate coffins.
