ENGLISH VERSION
Hello Photografy lovers community, long time no write because I have had some changes in my life, and now I am in Mexico City and I want to show you through my photos, a tradition that fortunately I have been able to live closely the very unique festivity of Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead).
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Image credit: @majo77 Coyocan, Mexico City.
On the 2nd of November, the Day of the Dead is celebrated all over Mexico, but from days before, Mexico City prepares for what is a real celebration, a tradition well rooted in people of different ages, but that everyone enjoys equally, even though the great Carnival-like parade in Rio de Janeiro started to take place only in 2016, and has its origin in Spectre one of the James Bond movies.
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Image credit: @majo77 Cineteca Nacional
This tradition that has fascinated me and that has already been quite documented in the movies, tells us that on this date our loved ones who have already died, can come to visit us, and that we can give them a nice welcome as any person who visits our home, so in several places in Mexico (although not in all as the tradition varies from one region to another), an altar is prepared for them and they are left there with their favourite food or drink, accompanied by photos and candles so that he can see the way, and also can be 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 are used other flowers with specific meanings, With these offerings our loved one knows that those who are still here, we love him and remember him, and keep alive his memory so that it lasts forever.
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Image credit: @majo77 Cineteca Nacional
This year I was very excited to see this celebration, 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 their altar of the dead there, so everyone who wanted to could visit them and take pictures with them.
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Image credit: @majo77 Cineteca Nacional
Then on the 2nd of November, 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 and without sadness inside the cementery.
Image credit: @majo77 Cementerio de Xoco
I spent almost an hour in that cemetery and then I walked to Coyoacan, a very typical place in the city in the historic center. When I arrived, the square and the little town were bursting with people who came to see the attractions, have a drink or a coffee, there was no shortage of people doing make-up in the best style of the catrinas on the faces of the children and the not so children, I saw a very happy Jarocho dance with the music of the dance sung live and adapted for the Day of the Dead, all to fascinate the passers-by, whether they were locals or strangers, nobody would imagine that all that joy was a party to celebrate the dead who come to visit
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Image credit: @majo77 Cementerio de Xoco
Image credit: @majo77 Coyoacan Mexico City
I was captivated by this tradition, to see how culturally with so much joy death is assumed as a process that is certainly as natural as life, and yes, I think we should accept it as what it is, part of life, stop seeing it with fear, 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 accompanying us always, being loved, celebrated, and honoured in a joyful Day of the Dead.
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Image credit: @majo77 Coyoacan Mexico City
SPANISH VERSION.
Hola comunidad de Photografy lovers mucho tiempo sin escribir por aca tenido algunos cambios en mi vida y ahora me encuentro en Ciudad de Mexico y quiero mostrarles a traves de mis fotos de una tradicion que afortunadamente yo la he podio vivir de cerca 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 se prepara para lo que es una verdadera celebracion, una tradicion bien arraigada en la gente de distintas edades, pero que todos disfrutan por igual, aun cuando el gran desfile tipo Carnaval de Rio de Janeiro empezo a realizarse apenas en el ano 2016, y tiene su origen en Spectre una de las peliculas de James Bond.
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 visitarnos, y que podemos hacerle un recibimiento agradable como a cualquier persona que visite nuestra casa, asi que en varios lugares de Mexico (aunque no en todos ya que la tradicion varia de una region a otra, se dispone un altar e 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 interior del pais se usan otras flores con significados especificos, 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.
Yo este ano estaba muy emocionada que podria ver 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.
Image credit: @majo77 Cineteca Nacional
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.
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, 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.
esta tradicion me dejo cautivada, ver como culturalmente con tanta alegria se asume la muerte como un proceso que ciertamente es tan natural como la vida, 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 acompañándonos siempre, siendo queridos, celebrados, y honrados en un alegre Dia de Muertos.