The Mexican Day Of The Dead - 901 Words

There are abundant risks in exploring other cultures from a strictly descriptive point of view, especially when those descriptions do not originate from within the culture itself. External descriptions are virtually always skewed in their interpretations of the meanings and purposes of activities and traditions. When a person reads a portrayal of a culture other than their own, that information is filtered through their own cultural view. They are unlikely to be able to see behaviors and beliefs from the perspective of those that live them. For example, most people in the US are aware of Dios De Los Muertos, the Mexican Day of The Dead. How many of those people genuinely comprehend the underlying personal beliefs of the Mexican people who partake in the celebrations? Most Americans see the festivities and the costumes and assume they’re meant to be just fun and scary, the Mexican version of way Halloween perhaps, as they do share a date. They are unlikely to appreciate the spi ritual basis for the costumes and celebrations. Even if one was to clarify for them how the day is meant to be a ceremony to honor and acknowledge their ancestors, most Americans would picture those ideals in comparison to perhaps Memorial Day. They probably wouldn’t be able to comprehend the difference between the US’s distanced acknowledgment of our recently deceased family and just how ingrained ancestral celebrations are in the overall tapestry that is Mexican cultural heritage. While most peopleShow MoreRelatedThe Day Of The Dead1166 Words   |  5 Pages The Day of the Dead is a unique Mexican holiday celebrated with many different customs and traditions throughout Mexico. This holiday focuses on the gathering of family and friends to pray for people close to them who have died and help them along on their spiritual journey. Every year, starting on October 31st, Mexican people begin their annual three-day celebration of The Day of the Dead or El Dà ­a de los Muertos. The holiday takes place over a course of three days, October 31st, November 1stRead MoreDay Of The Dead : A Celebration Of Family976 Words   |  4 PagesDay of the Dead: A Celebration of Family The holiday Day of the Dead is a Mexican tradition. It is a cultural celebration that involves honoring those who are no longer on earth. It is a way to rejoice not mourn the loss of loved ones. Mexicans believe it is important to connect with the spirits, and offer them gifts. Not only does it show how important present family members are to Mexicans, but also those who have passed on. Many outsiders see this holiday as evil. Since it is a common misconceptionRead MoreOur neighbor,Mexico is very interesting and much more complex than normally think. It has a variety600 Words   |  3 Pagesand taste. A favorite food is Chorizo. Chorizo is a type of cooked sausage and in Mexico they add chili peppers on top to give it a spicy flavor. Another favorite food Mexicans eat are empanadas. Empanadas are a type of bread with chicken and vegetables stuffed inside.In every meal, you can usually find corn and beans. In most Mexican dishes there are chili peppers to give the dish a distinctive flavor. One of the most common peppers used in dishes is the jalapeno. The food of Mexico is very uniqueRead MoreLaura Esquivels Like Water for Chocolate Essay1709 Words   |  7 PagesCan a book truly relay a cultural aspect of a culture well enough so that we see the true cultural believes of a country? To this I think yes, â€Å"Like Water for Chocolate† by Laura Esquivel represents many cultural aspects of the Mexican cultural life style throughout the entire novel using everything from small cultural references to large references. This is due mainly to Laura Esquivel being from Mexico and having string cultural beliefs. Laura Esquivel from what Gale Contextual Encyclopedia tellsRead MoreMexico s Culture And Gender Diversity1216 Words   |  5 Pagespractice. As we look into culture we also will see different celebrations people have. In Mexico one of the biggest celebrations they have is Day of the Dead. This is an example of how people s cultures reflect ones belief s. Gender roles determine what behaviors are valued, expected, and allowed by both men and woman. You can see large gender differences in the Mexican culture. Just like most anything, as time goes by the gender roles in the area alter. In the past it was very obvious what the gender rolesRead MoreDia de Los Muertos965 Words   |  4 Pagesfamous, yet kinda eerie celebration that takes place in mexico. This is a tradition celebrated by the Mexican Natives, most Mexican Americans (including myself) don t even acknowledge this day, unless they happen to be visiting mexico at the time of this event. Foreigners have more trouble understanding Dia de Los Muertos than any of Mexico s other celebrations. At first glance, they see Day of the Dead decorations which are colored paper garlands, little skeletons performing daily tasks and sugar skullsRead More Dia de Los Muertos Essay964 Words   |  4 Pagesfamous, yet kinda eerie celebration that takes place in mexico. This is a tradition celebrated by the Mexican Natives, most Mexican Americans (including myself) don’t even acknowledge this day, unless they happen to be visiting mexico at the time of this event. Foreigners have more trouble understanding Dia de Los Muertos than any of Mexicos other celebrations. At first glance, they see Day of the Dead decorations which are colored paper garlands, little skeletons performing daily tasks and sugar skullsRead MoreBenefits Of A Same Marriage1225 Words   |  5 PagesMexicans are allowed to be with whoever they want as their spouse. There are some limitations to who they choose, especially those who come from specific background or class. Mexicans usually get married after an engagement is presented to them which can last for many years. The average age for a male to get married is around 24 and for a female it is around 22 years old. With the ever changing world, people get married at any age. Of all the Mexicans that were 12 years or older are either marriedRead MoreMexico Mask Essay1422 Words   |  6 Pagesof Mexico and the Mexican people include duality, fatalism, and masks. These three issues are prevalent throughout the culture and hi story of the nation. They are represented and mentioned in two descriptive texts and a film. The two texts include Ridings essay The Mexicans and a chapter of Octavio Pazs book, The Labyrinth of Solitude entitled Mexican Masks . The film was presented by the National Geographic Society as an overview of Mexican culture entitled The Mexicans: Through Their EyesRead MoreMexico : A Place Where We Can Tour And Vacation1087 Words   |  5 PagesUnited States was a part of Mexico and now it is our neighbor to the south (Mexico, n.d.). Mexico is a place where we can tour and vacation. Those living in Mexico live different lives than we do in the United States (Mexico, 2012.). About 7000 B.C., Mexicans learned to grow plants for food and soon after, they were able to settle in villages and those villages later became towns (Mexico, 2012.). Mexico at that time suffered as a Spanish colony for over 300 years and was a â€Å"feudal† country (Mexico, 2012)