Day of the Death

"Cult of death? Rather a cult of life... through death" - Eduardo Matos Moctezuma

Los borrachos by Leonardo Linares VargasAsociación de Amigos del MAP

The mexican is particularly known for his way of relating to the phenomenon of death, stripped of the fear and anguish that in other latitudes causes the fear of hell and eternal punishment. 

Catrina de barro by DesconocidoAsociación de Amigos del MAP

for him, death is nothing more than one more phase of life itself, similar to corn that, in order to continue its life cycle, had to be buried in order to be reborn again. 

Velorio by AnónimoAsociación de Amigos del MAP

In this way, he naturally aproaches her, and on the day destined to celebrate his reunion with those who preceded him on the journey,  he prepares to receive and entertain them. 

Calaveras by Felipe LinaresAsociación de Amigos del MAP

In its honor, he raices altars in his house, with food and drink; adorns their graves with flowers and candles, and offers them their favorite dishes, from which they will take only the smell while copal and incense are burned. 

Calavera futbolista by DesconocidoAsociación de Amigos del MAP

Around this celebration, cardboard skulls based on characters from everyday life portrayed as skulls are made in Celaya and Mexico City. 

Catrina (2005) by Familia LinaresAsociación de Amigos del MAP

Many of them are usually represented as in the engravings of José Guadalupe Posadas. 

Florero de calaveras danzando by DesconocidoAsociación de Amigos del MAP

Among the most commons skulls are:

A couple dancing the jarabe tapatío, couples, musicians, zapatistas, a drunk from a bar and many others in happy reunion of skeletons.

Catrín by Roberto Sandoval RiveraAsociación de Amigos del MAP

Some other elements created for these festivities are skulls, catrinas and catrines, quartered skeletons, dancers, multicolored and decorated skulls.

Sara García by Taller Los OlvidadosAsociación de Amigos del MAP

skeletons of famous persons from the town, burials, processions, little graves, offerings and cut skulls. 

Caja con muerte by Antonio Muñoz RuizAsociación de Amigos del MAP

Other techniques:

In addition to the cardboard, the skulls and skeletons are made in various techniques such as clay, sugar, popular painting, among others, and the dimensions can range from miniatures to monumental representations. 

Catrina de barro by DesconocidoAsociación de Amigos del MAP

In the polychrome pottery from Metepec, State of Mexico, we find a great diversity of pieces with the theme of death:

Charrería mexicana by José Luis Díaz GarcíaAsociación de Amigos del MAP

carts in wich oxen and occupants show their emaciated figures; wedding processions, charros, mariachis and all kinds of figures that populate the world of "the beyond" as a happy copy of "the there" 

Credits: Story

Photography: 
Nicola Lorusso
Estudio Kristina Velfu 
AmigosMAP
Georgina Luna Parra
Gabriela Andrade
Brenda Trevisán

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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