Dias Del muerto

Dias del muerto

Dias del muerto is a holiday primarily celebrated in Mexico. Since the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest during this time. Some believe that you can contact the deceased loved ones only on this day.

Some cultures spend the holiday at their loved ones graves. Some even inform talk to them about the things that have happened over the past year since they last visited their grave sites almost like a family reunion for both the living and the dead. In some versions of this tradition full on tailgates and barbecues have been known to be held at the grave sites of the dearly departed.

There is a belief that the souls of their loved ones will carry on in the afterlife so long as they are remembered by a living person. According to these particular set of beliefs the soul dies completely when they are no longer remembered by the living. In the words of disturbed souls who are not remembered cannot survive.

Some cultures leave sweets by the graves of their loved ones the most popular being sugar skulls. Hand decorated by the family members.

This holiday means a lot to some people because it gives them a few hours to connect and spend with their loved ones. Be it spouses, parents, relatives, the pain can be too much to bear. Knowing you have to live on without these people that played such a significant role in your life. So this holiday was created so that you can have a few hours to talk and spend with the people you love. Just being with them in spirit as in this case can heal the soul. Knowing they can hear you through the ultra thin veil between the living and the dead. this makes a huge difference and can heal ones mind body and spirit.

Remember that meme on face book where it says I would give anything on this earth to spend time with someone in heaven. For some people this is literally the way to do it.

A typical dais Del muertos event goes like this. Around sun set the family will arrive at the graves of their beloved family. They will fire up the grill, bring photos of the family member they are spending a few hours with, as well as pictures of the newest family members, so they can visually see their family. alternatively they can see what the family members look like after a year of not being able to see them.

The family will spend most of the night if not all night at the grave site.

After the feast the family makes sugar skulls as treats for their dead loved ones or in some cases ceramic skills hand painted by the still living family members. In other cultures they bring other forms of treats. These trinkets and treats will stay at the grave site for a week unless the dead take their treats first.

Finally it is close to dawn and the family has cherished their time they had to spend with the departed. They are packing up to leave the grave site until next year when they return.

Believe me there is a difference between just visiting the grave on a regular day and on Dias del muerto and like I said above that difference is the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest so you know the dead can hear you and everything you say. Versus any other day where they may not be able to hear you. Just knowing the dead can hear you can ease the eternal pain in knowing that you lost someone you know forever.

References

1. Disturbed hold on to memories lyrics below for references above.

Disturbed hold on to memories lyrics

Listen, everyone

The time will come when all of us say goodbye

Feel that aching in your heart

Leaving you broken inside

But we're never really gone

As long as there's a memory in your mind

So now go do the best things in life

Take a bite of this world while you can

Make the most of the rest of your life

Make a ride of this world while you can

Take the ones you love

And hold them close because there is little time

And don't let it break your heart

I know it feels hopeless sometimes

But they're never really gone

As long as there's a memory in your mind

So now go do the best things in life

Take a bite of this world while you can

Make the most of the rest of your life

Make a ride of this world while you can

And hold on to memories

Hold on to every moment

To keep them alive

The world's greatest tragedy

Souls who are not remembered

Cannot survive

So now go do the best things in life

Bring the fight to this world while you can

Make the most of the rest of your life

Shine your light on this world while you can

And hold on to memories

Hold on to every moment

To keep them alive

The world's greatest tragedy

Souls who are not remembered

Cannot survive

And hold on to memories

Hold on to every moment

To keep them alive

The world's greatest tragedy

Souls who are not remembered

Cannot survive (cannot survive)