Books on my TBR for The Day of the Dead  

Today is the Day of the Dead. Before the arrival of the Spanish to Mexican shores in 1519 (though at the time they were not yet Mexican), ancient Mesoamerican cultures celebrated their dead for 40 days. During the first 20 days, from August 19^th to September 7^th, they celebrated the tlaxochimaco or the Bestowal of Flowers. This celebration was dedicated to both children and the sun God Huitzilopochtli. During the second set of twenty days, from September 7^th to the 27^th, people celebrated the festival of Xocotlhetzi. The name of this festival is translated into the ‘Fall of the Flowers’ and it is an allegory of death; or the fall of everything and its eventual return the center, to Mitclantecutli and Mictecacíhuatl, the god and goddess that welcome the dead to Mictlán after its four-year journey through nine perilous levels or tribulations designed to strip away earthly attachments and purify the spirit before achieving eternal rest (The Collector).

In the colonial era (1521-1821), the tradition of welcoming back the souls of our deceased loved ones for a joyful reunion blended with the Spanish Catholic days All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

Here is a list of books on my TBR about this Mexican tradition of celebrating our departed loved ones. Unfortunately, all of these books are in Spanish and have no translation in English:

1. La fiesta de la muerte (The Festival of Death) by Héctor L. Zarauz López

This book is part of the collection Fiestas Populares de México (Popular Festivals of Mexico) published by the Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (CONACULTA) that “sets out to show readers the richness of the cultural diversity in the country and contribute to the knowledge and dissemination of our customs and traditions” (CONACULTA). In this book, the author studies the cultural blend of Ancient Mesoamerican traditions, such as pre-Columbian conceptions of death, the Catholic influence of the Spanish during the Viceroyalty of New Spain as well as modern expression of worship to our ancestors and departed loved ones. He also addresses how other ancient cultures, like the Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Hindu and Persian cultures, perceived death and its presence among the living. Finally, the author describes how different parts of Mexico celebrate the Day of the Dead on November 2^nd.

2. Diálogos con la muerte: Ocho ensayos sobre el descenso humano en Mesoamérica y regiones vecinas, edited by Roberto Martínez González

Death has occupied a central place in the beliefs and ritual practices of various societies. In Mexico, the ways in which the deceased are bid farewell, remembered, and the bonds with them established, reflect different ways of understanding life and the world. In this book, the editor compiles research on funerary rituals, conceptions of death, and the relationships between the living and the dead across various Indigenous societies in Mexico, from pre-Columbian times to the present day (Synopsis borrowed from the Instituto de Investigaciones Históricas (UNAM)).

3. Del Mictlán al Día de Muertos por Oscar Ramírez Chávez (también conocido por Xiu)

This book explores the origins of the Dead of the Dead. The author, a popular YouTuber also known as Xiu, invites the reader to discover the history, philosophy and sacred symbols that gave rise to this unique celebration in Mexico; to find out how the ancient cosmogony of the aboriginal peoples of Mexico blended with our Hispanic and catholic heritage to create one of the most important traditions of our country.  

Thank you for reading my post. I hope today is a joyous occasion for you. See you next time.

Notes: Not all pictures of the books in this post are mine. I borrowed them for review purposes. The banner picture for this post is also not mine. It belongs to marino_navegante on Instagram. The artwork, however, El Jarabe en Ultratumba (The Folk Dance Beyond The Grave), was created by José Guadalupe Posada in 1910. It is a very famous metal engraving and relief etching.