— SACRED TIME —

Día de Muertos

November 1–2 · Mexican and Mesoamerican tradition · Peoples and regions

Fixed date

Esoteric and historical meaning

Syncretism between the Mexica cult of Mictecacihuatl and All Saints: the dead return to visit, guided by the scent of flowers and the smoke of copal. Death is a guest, not an enemy.

Operative mechanics — ritual acts

·Building the multi-level ofrenda with photos of the deceased.
·Path of cempasúchil petals from the door to the altar.
·Night vigil at the cemetery with music and storytelling.

Traditional foods

·Pan de muerto
·Sugar skulls
·Favorite dishes of the deceased
·Mezcal

Offerings

·Water, salt, copal
·Photograph of the deceased
·Cempasúchil orange flowers

Taboos to respect

·Do not eat the offering before the dead have taken its essence
·Do not cry at the altar: welcome them with a celebration

Associated symbols

Calavera · Cempasúchil · Copal · Papel picado

Note for paradigm shifting

Exemplary altar structure: replicable for any kind of ancestor work.