Spain celebrates Day of the Dead
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E-mail CNTV, November 4, 2013
We now head to Mexico, where locals have been dying to celebrate a special holiday. The Day of the Dead celebration takes place from October 31 to November 2nd. It is a festive occasion, when spirits of deceased loved ones are welcomed into homes. Perhaps the most famous symbol of death in the country is a skeleton known as La Catrina, whose colourful clothing and grinning face embody the Mexican tradition of laughing at death.
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The Day of the Dead celebration takes place from October 31 to November 2nd. |
Spooky to some, but here in Mexico, it's a sign of celebration.
Figures such as these - known as La Catrina - began life as a satirical cartoon character in the early 20th century called La Calavera Garbancera.
Today it has become synonymous with Day of the Dead celebrations. And these clay figures are a must-have for the occasion.
Edgar Adrian, Local Resident, said, "I think it's mocking death because everybody sees the dead dressed in black and it scares you. Now we see the Catrina and we laugh. We want a Catrina in our house that is dressed very elegantly with her hat and flowers and everything. It's a joke more than anything about death."
It can take weeks to make a single Catrina figure, with each creation wearing a floor-length dress decorated with flowers, bows and ruffles inspired by the popular styles of 20th century Europe.
Each worker has a maximum of three days to decorate the figures before the clay dries and becomes too dry to work with.
They are then baked at 850 degrees celsius in a large kiln before being painted.
"It's something I think is unique in the world to laugh about death and live with it every day, so it's good, it's great. You have to get accustomed to it, but once you understand, it's something very special. I cherish it very much now." Tourist Gabriela said.
Day of the Dead has deep roots in pre-Hispanic culture, and the tradition is particularly strong in states such as Michoacan, where there are large indigenous population.
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