#dia de los muertos
I posted this everywhere but forgot to post it here! I made a pic for my mom and our ofrenda so we can put it up too and i just really like how it turned out. Feliz Dia de los Muertos
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Your Fave MIGHT Be Catholic: Miguel Rivera
Known for: Main character of Coco, the beloved animated film by Pixar Animation Studios centered around Dia de Los Muertos. He is a child who aspires to be a great musician just like the famed musician & singer Ernesto De La Cruz, but his family straight up forbids any kinds of music & insists he follow in their shoe making business. On the night of Dia de Los Muertos (a.k.a. “Day of the Dead”), he tries to steal a guitar from Ernesto De La Cruz’s memorial, & thus he is cursed & stuck in the Land of the Dead. Only a blessing from his deceased family can bring him back to the Land of the Living, but their oppressive ban on music forces Miguel to try & receive a blessing from Ernesto De La Cruz. Thus, he teams up with the charming former musician Héctor & his dog Dante to get to De La Cruz’s mansion party to receive his blessing. Miguel is a good child who loves his family (being especially close to his great grandmother, Mama Coco), but his passion for music causes conflict with the other members of his family, & it’s over the course of the film where he learns why his family hates music. *SPOILERS* It’s also through his adventures where he learns where his passion for music comes from - he learns that Héctor is his true great great grandfather, that he is the real musical genius behind Ernesto De La Cruz’s music, & uses music to help revive Mama Coco’s fading memories to help save Héctor from fading away forever as well as make amends with his family. *SPOILERS*
Why I say MIGHT as opposed to IS: Coco is a very interesting film to discuss, & with the topic of religion like this blog explores, this instance gets very confusing. On the one hand, a cross can be seen hanging from the wall in Mama Coco’s room, which can be seen here, & thus indicates that the Rivera family is very religious. Adding to this, the dominant religion of Mexico (the film’s setting) is Roman Catholicism, which makes the case stronger. In the film itself, Miguel even admits that initially he thought the traditions described in Dia de Los Muertos were make believe “like vitamins”, but after seeing the afterlife itself, it’s clear that he is certainly a believer. This can be seen in a clip found here. Last, & most importantly, the film makes it very VERY clear that there is an afterlife, & one of the main fundamental beliefs of Catholicism & all of Christianity in general is that there’s an afterlife after we die. But now this is where things get confusing…. Despite the film making it clear the afterlife is real, The Land of the Dead is not the same afterlife as described in Catholic doctrine - i.e. Heaven, Hell, & Purgatory. It seems to be based on traditional Mexican culture, which most likely dates back to before Christianity arrived in Mexico, & thus it’s sort of contradictory with the current religious beliefs. The film itself doesn’t explore this at all, & so we don’t really know how exactly the current religious beliefs work with regards to the Land of the Dead, which is based on memories & the importance of remembering our loved ones & who we are (which again, is based on real Mexican traditions). So, to conclude, it’s really hard to tell if the Rivera family is a loyal Catholic family, or if at the end of the film they practice a new religion based on the Land of the Dead.
(On a separate note: the earlier animated Dia de Los Muertos film The Book of Life has a very similar problem to Coco - Catholic nuns are seen as recurring extras in the film’s setting, but then they establish that there are three deities that exist: La Muerta the goddess who runs The Land of the Remembered, Xibalba the god who runs The Land of the Forgotten, & The Candle Maker who binds the universe together & owns the titular book. It’s arguably even more confusing, as Catholic beliefs make it super crystal clear that there is only ONE God, & yet that film shows Catholicism existing in a mythology with three deities.)
If this post is wrong: If this post is wrong & director Lee Unkrich or anyone else from Pixar Animation Studios have stated that the religious beliefs of Coco are ONLY surrounded around the lore involving the Land of the Dead, then please let me know in a polite ask, & I will have this post altered right away.
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Dia de Los Muertos
I have not been celebrating this holiday for very long, only the past few years, and I am glad that I do now. Dia de Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a celebration of those that have passed before us. This holiday is not a sad one, it’s not a day to cry in remembrance, but to celebrate our family and friends and to remember their lives. Traditionally there are altars made to honor loved ones, food and flower offerings of those loved ones are placed on display as well as remembrances. For the spiritual element of this holiday, family and friends will gather round the altar created or in cemeteries, to celebrate, pray and support those that have passed on in their spiritual journeys.The way I celebrate is by visiting the graves of my family that have passed on and decorating their graves with marigold flowers and with traditional sugar skulls and other traditional and fun trinkets. This is not the only time I visit my family, not at all, but it is a time to celebrate them instead of mourning them. I know I don’t necessarily need a specific holiday to do that, but to honor my family during this holiday provides a sense of community and love and happiness as we keep them in our hearts.
For some more info online check out: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead
http://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/holidays/day-of-the-dead/2014/09/24/day-of-the-dead-history/16174911/
http://dayofthedead.com/category/celebrations/
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Purple Sugar Skulls - why didn’t I think of that? Made by Susan Schwartz of sugarskulls.com
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Pan de muerto, Oaxaca-style!
Clay sculpture, artist unknown, at the Chicago Museum of Art (where they probably know the artist).
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“How To Convey Death Warmed Over by a Cake.” The medium is cake and the artist is Kristen Coniaris, Chef Owner, Wicked Goodies!
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GUESS WHAT IS ALMOST HERE!!!!! Pan de muerto. OMG, I LOVE IT. It’s a shame you can only buy it once a year.
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The sequel to ¡Viva Calaca! by Ritxi Ostáriz! A great way to start of the season!
¡Viva Calaca! by Ritxi Ostáriz; the music is by Voltaire! This video is fantastic!
