My first "Dia de Muertos" (Mexico City) / Mi primer "Dia de Muertos " (Ciudad de Mexico)

ENGLISH VERSION.

Hello Pinmapple community, this is the first time I write here, I hope the first of many!, I had a long time without writing because the move and changes in my life took me away from this digital sharing, but today I want to tell you about a tradition that is much talked about and has been written more, and fortunately I have been able tolive it closely this 2022 living here in Mexico City, I mean the very unique festival of Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead).

On November 2 is celebrated throughout Mexico, the Day of the Dead, but from days before the Mexico City (I guess in other places is the same), changes and prepares for what is a real celebration, it is a tradition well rooted in people of different ages, but everyone enjoys it equally, the children because they dress up and paint their faces and bodies with happy colors, the young people because of the recognition of this living tradition and the feeling that they belong to it and to their culture, and the adults because they feel that their loved ones are coming back to visit them.

Image credit: pixabay.com

This tradition that has fascinated me and has already been well documented in the movies, tells us that on this date our loved ones and loved ones who have died, can come to visit us on this plane, to our world of the living, and that we can make a nice welcome as anyone who visits our home, so an altar is arranged either large or small, is prepared and left there your favorite food or drink, accompanied by photos and candles so he can see the way, and also you can put anything that in life has been liked by the visitor, is decorated with flowers that are basically those of Cempasuchil, in some states of the interior of the country I am told that there are other flowers with specific meanings that are placed on these altars, and that each state has some variations of this tradition. With these offerings our loved one knows that those of us who are still here, love him and remember him, and we keep his memory alive so that it will last forever. # As I was saying, the city is filled with a festive and colorful atmosphere, there are skulls and Catrinas everywhere, the stores are full of these decorations with these characters dressed in traditional Mexican costumes and always in very cheerful poses, on this date the typical decoration is the papel picado also colorful and there are all over the city. The streets and stores, as well as the houses, are filled with a beautiful flower of a very intense yellow color almost orange called Cempasuchil, it is typical of this season of October and November and is associated with the festivity of the Day of the Dead, so all the altars and places are full of this flower, and a very similar one called Terciopelo which is of a very bright magenta color. These flowers are emblematic of the whole tradition. # ![dia-de-muertos-4590843_960_720 cempasuchil.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmPEnoybYxCrX7dJcWV2BR13672Q3ZE7wHzgZ53iLReBG5/dia-de-muertos-4590843_960_720%20cempasuchil.jpg)Image credit: pixabay.com #

This year I was very excited to see this celebration up close, so from Saturday October 29th I went to the Cineteca Nacional located on Mexico Coyoacan Avenue in Mexico City, looking for the altars and offerings that were placed there to be appreciated by the public, several people decided to place there their altar of the dead, so everyone who wanted could visit them and take pictures with them. The altars are very colorful and creative with skulls and skeletons dressed for the occasion, with photos of the people to whom each altar is addressed, some with corn cobs to remember that they were liked by the deceased, others with bottles of their favorite beer, and even miniature pianos. Creativity and ingenuity have no limits when it comes to making the altar of the dead. # ![1667705665560.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmR7WfX8zVy9NBP4g8ZcHrdEyRH5napsU9oxuCsGHD7aAD/1667705665560.jpg)Image credit @majo77 # ![1667713808857.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmVcVW5F7wYgxHop3mxYFtGSu6J2m23TLo2APipHceMFBC/1667713808857.jpg)Image credit: @majo77

Then on November 2nd, I wanted to see with my own eyes how the real tradition was lived, I had already been told some things and I had read others, but I wanted to be part of it, so I went to the XOCO cemetery in the heart of Mexico City and I was very pleased with everything I saw, a joyful atmosphere without sadness inside the cemetery, children playing on the tombs mostly decorated with papel picado and Cempasuchil flowers, and candles lit, in several tombs there were families gathered with live music, some with Mariachis cheered up the evening, others with pre-recorded music, some drank and even ate there while singing and remembering with visible love to their family member. I was really struck by the fact that inside the cemetery everything was joyful and there was no regret, literally all these families were there to share and visit their loved one. I was positively impacted to see how events change from place to place, in my country Venezuela culturally there is no acceptance of death as an essential part of life. # I was there for almost an hour and then I walked to Coyoacan, a very typical place in the city in the historic center, it is like a town or village that along with its inhabitants, has been immersed within the great Mexico City with population growth, and is full of markets and popular stores, also modern cafes and nightclubs that coexist to the delight and sorrow of locals and strangers, so it is a very touristy place where you live very closely the Day of the Dead. # ![1667705665452.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmdBGysZvxnAiSMhzbGRrD75KCSRL49nL5VskVEc5isojE/1667705665452.jpg)Image credit: @majo77 ##

Following my route to Coyoacan, which is about 20 minutes away, passing the XOCO Cemetery, I noticed how everything on the road was a party, from improvised amusement parks (since they are not normally there), to groups of typical dancers, and catrinas like 2 meter marionettes livening up the whole place. the people who also went to Coyoacan were mostly disguised or made up with cheerful skulls and funny skeletons. # When I arrived at the plaza and the town was bursting with people who came to see the attractions, have a drink or a coffee, there was no shortage of people to make up the faces of the children and not so children in the best style of the catrinas, or street musicians, and even staging of traditional dances, I saw a super happy Jarocho dance with the music of the dance sang live and adapted for the day of the dead, all to fascinate the passerby, no one would imagine that all that joy is a party to celebrate the dead who come to visit. # ![1667705665431.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmQfYrhoZG5LjAHGX4PBNxcpsVFduW4j84gwoVwkeNT581/1667705665431.jpg)Image credit:@majo77 #

I must tell you that this tradition that I knew from the movies, left me captivated, to see how culturally with so much joy is assumed a process that certainly is as natural as life, well they say that since we are born we only have certain death, and yes, I think we should accept it for what it is, Although I am not Mexican, I really want to think that those who left this world before us are not completely gone, that they live in our memory and in our love, always accompanying us, being loved, celebrated and honored in a joyful Day of the Dead. # ![1667705665419.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmb2evHTjFntGNA7gYxNpALbQRTS2ywMoadmP2AbjGDjtC/1667705665419.jpg)Image credit:@majo77 SPANISH VERSION.

Hola comunidad de Pinmapple es primera vez que escribo por aca, espero la primera de muchas!, tenia mucho tiempo sin escribir porque la mudanza y los cambios en mi vida me alejaron un poco de este compartir digital, pero hoy quiero contarles de una tradicion de la que se habla mucho y se ha escrito mas, y que afortumadamente yo la he podio vivir de cerca este 2022 viviendo aqui en Ciudad de Mexico, me refiero a la muy singular festividad de Dia de Muertos. # El dia 2 de Noviembre se celebra en todo Mexico, el Dia de Muertos, pero desde dias previos la Ciudad de Mexico (supongo que en otros lugares es igual), cambia y se prepara para lo que es una verdadera celebracion, es una tradicion bien arraigada en la gente de distintas edades, pero que todos disfrutan por igual, los ninos porque se disfrazan y se pintan el rostro y el cuerpo con colores alegres, los jovenes por el reconocimiento de esta tradicion viva y el sentir que pertencen a ella y a su cultura, y los adultos porque sienten que sus seres queridos vuelven a visitarlos. Esta tradicion que me ha fascinado y que ya ha sido bastante documentada en el cine, nos cuenta que en esta fecha nuestros seres queridos y amados que ya han muerto, pueden venir a vistarnos a este plano, a nuestro mundo de los vivos, y que podemos hacerle un recibimiento agradable como a cualquier persona que visite nuestra casa, asi que se dispone un altar bien sea grande o pequeno, se le prepara y se le deja ahi su comida o bebida favorita, acompanado de fotos y velas para que vea el camino, y tambien se le puede poner cualquier cosa que en vida haya sido del agrado del visitante, se adorna con flores que basicamente son las de Cempasuchil, en algunos estado del inetrior del pais me dicen que hay otras flores con significados especificos que se colocan en estos altraes, y que cada estado tiene algunas variaciones de esta tradicion. Con estas ofrendas nuestro ser querido sabe que los que aun estamos aqui, lo queremos y lo recordamos, y mantenemos vivo su recuerdo para que perdure por siempre. # ![1667705665483.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmc3bqKxhNYASSGdFE6iEnyBAg62SA2GrjBHkrXAZVxXU1/1667705665483.jpg)Image credit:@majo77 Como les decia, la ciudad se llena de un ambiente festivo y de color, hay calaveras y Catrinas por todos lados, los negocios estan repletos de estos adornos con estos personajes vestidos de manera tradicional mexicana y siempre en poses muy alegres, en esta fecha el adorno tipico es el papel picado tambien de colores y lo hay por toda la ciudad. Tanto las calles y negocios, como en las casas, se llenan de una bonita flor color amarillo muy intenso casi anaranjado llamada Cempasuchil, es tipica de esta temporada de octubre y noviembre y se asocia con la festividad de Dia de Muertos, asi que todos los altares y lugares estan llenos de esta flor, y de una muy similar llamada terciopelo que es de color magenta muy brillante. Estas flores son emblema de toda esta tradicion. # Yo este ano estaba muy emocionada que podria ver de cerca esta celebracion, asi que desde el sabado 29 de Octubre me fui a la Cineteca Nacional ubicada en la avenida Mexico Coyoacan de Ciudad de Mexico, en busca de los altares y ofrendas que ahi se colocaron para que fueran apreciados por el publico, varias personas decidieron colocar ahi su altar de muertos, por lo que todos los que querian podian visitarlos y tomarse fotos con ellos. Los altares son muy vistosos y creativos con calaveras y esqueletos vestidos para la ocasion, con fotos de las personas a las que va dirigido cada altar, unos con mazorcas de maiz para recordar que eran del agrado del fallecido, otros con botellas de su cerveza favorita, y hasta pianos en miniatura. La creatividad y el ingenio no tienhe limites cuando se trata de hacer el altar de muertos. ![1667705665408.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmTvTFp6CSruw54e8Ccwr6i3evPHXy4E7B5FRZs7cXZL2n/1667705665408.jpg) Image credit:@majo77 ## Luego el dia 2 de noviembre, queria ver con mis propios ojos como se vivia la tradicion real, ya me habian contados alguna cosas y habia leido otras, pero quise ser parte de ella, asi que me fui al cementerio de XOCO en pleno corazon de Ciudad de Mexico y me agrado muchisimo todo lo que vi, un ambiente alegre y sin tristezas dentro del cementerio, ninos jugando en las tumbas mayormente decordas con papel picado y flores de cempasuchil, y velas encendidas, en varias tumbas habia familias reunidas con musica en vivo, algunas con mariachis animaron la velada, otros con musica pregrabada, unos bebian y hasta comian ahi mientras cantaban y recordaban con visisble carino a su familiar. De veradad, me llamo mucho la atencion que dentro del cementerio todo era alegria y no habia pesar, literalmente fueron todas esta familias a compartir y visitar a su ser querido. Me impacto positivamente ver como las los eventos cambian de lugar a lugar, en mi pais Venezuela culturalmente no hay esta aceptacion de la muerte como parte esencial de la vida. # Ahi en ese Cementerio estuve casi una hora y luego me fui caminando a Coyoacan, un lugar muy tipico en la ciudad en el centro historico, es como un pueblo o Villa que junto con sus habitantes, ha quedado inmerso dentro de la gran Ciudad de Mexico con el crecimiento demografico, y esta lleno de mercaditos y tiendas populares, tambien de cafes modernos y sitios nocturnos que coexisten para la delicias y pesares de propios y extranos, asi que es un lugar muy turistico en el que se vive muy de cerca el Dia de Muertos. # Siguiendo mi ruta a Coyoacan que esta como a unos 20 min aproximadamente al pasar el Cementerio de XOCO, note como en el camino todo era una fiesta, habia desde parques de diversiones improvisados (ya que normalmente no estan ahi), hasta grupos de bailes tipicos, y catrinas como marionetas de 2 metros amenizando todo el lugar. la gente que iba tambien a coyoacan iba mayormente disfrazada o maquillada con calaveras alegres y esqueletos divertidos. # ![1667705665560.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmR7WfX8zVy9NBP4g8ZcHrdEyRH5napsU9oxuCsGHD7aAD/1667705665560.jpg)images credit:@majo77 Cuando llegue la plaza y el pueblito estaba a reventar de gente que venia a ver las atracciones, tomarse un trago o un cafe, no falto tampoco quien maquillara al mejor estilo de las catrinas las caritas de los ninos y los no tan ninos, ni musicos ambulantes, y hasta puesta en escena de bailes tradicionales, yo vi un Baile Jarocho super alegre con la musica del baile cantada en vivo y adaptada para el dia de muertos, todo para fascinar al transeunte propio o extrano, nadie se imaginaria que toda esa alegria es una fiesta para celebrar a los muertos que vienen de visita. Debo decirles que esta tradicion que conocia por las peliculas, me dejo cautivada, ver como culturalmente con tanta alegria se asume un proceso que ciertamente es tan natural como la vida, bien dicen que desde que nacemos solo tenemos segura la muerte, y si, creo que debemos aceptarla como lo que es, parte de la vida, dejar de verla con temor, yo aunque no sea mexicana, de verdad quiero pensar que los que se fueron de este mundo primero que nosotros no se han ido del todo, que viven en nuestro recuerdo y en nuestro amor acompanadonos siempre, siendo queridos, celebrados, y honrados en un alegre Dia de Muertos.

# ![day-of-the-dead-4252348_960_720 ultima.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmTNovN5zmTJDjqwy37vzVE9wnfQkF38b3GpGeE9y1qPkp/day-of-the-dead-4252348_960_720%20ultima.jpg)Image credit:pixabay.com [//]:# (!pinmapple 19.35978 lat -99.17044 long Coyoacan square d3scr) [//]:# (!pinmapple 19.36062 lat -99.16493 long Cineteca NACIONAL CUAUTHEMOC STREET d3scr)