Hello everyone.If you notice it, it's been about 2 months since I skipped the blog. . .It's already November and there are only two months left in the year.

How are you doing?Autumn is almost over in Japan, and some areas are getting cold.Here, the capital of Mexico is around 23 degrees Celsius during the day, and for some reason it often rains out of season at night these days, and when that happens, the actual temperature drops as well as the perceived temperature.

This weekend, November 11st and November 1nd, Mexico will celebrate its famous[Day of the Dead Dia de los muertos]is.I think that there are many people who do not know much about it, so let me explain a little.

First, the history of Mexico cannot be overlooked in understanding the Day of the Dead.However, it is not easy to unravel the culture and history that are the roots of today's Mexico.This is because Mexico as we see it today is a fusion of three different cultures.

If you look at the guidebook, there is a tourist spot (Tlatelolco) that is introduced in Japanese as the Three Cultural Plaza. The second is the Spanish colonial period that lasted for 1521 years, and the third is the culture after independence from Spain after 300, that is, after Mexico became the United States.Even just looking at the pre-Spanish colonization era, there are countless other ethnic groups and tribes such as the famous Maya and Aztecs (more precisely, Mexica), as well as Teotihuacan, Prepecha, Mistecá, Totonaca, Zapotec, Tlaxcaltec, etc. existed.These different cultures were destroyed and forced to change in the name of Spanish missionary work.For the people of those days, it was an “incident” as if heaven and earth were reversed.Think about it.Suddenly, a large number of Spaniards rushed into today's peaceful Japan and said, "From today, you are Spain. Please convert to Catholicism and work for us." Wouldn't it be "Huh!?"Moreover, they did it by force.

I think you can see how difficult it is when you think about where the roots of modern Mexico are, even if you just take here.

The Mexicans say that while the Spanish did something terrible, for example, the negative feelings that we Japanese have about the atomic bombing today, such as the need to apologize, are especially against Spain. doesn't seem to holdI have mixed feelings.Many people were oppressed by them, their cultures and lives were forcibly destroyed, and many things with historical value were lost.And even more so if that happened to your ancestors where your country is today.

I won't go into that discussion because it would be too long, but modern Mexicans have no particular ill feelings toward the lost or the Spaniards, but at this time of the era, the custom of honoring the dead has been passed down from generation to generation for at least 500 years.

In recent years, more and more films have been made about Mexico. 007Spectre, Coco (Remember Me), and Roma.

If we talk about Mexico's Day of the Dead, I think that many people in Japan probably think of it as Halloween or a costume parade.Some customers even said, "I want to go to the costume parade!"Of course, it's good to enjoy other cultures individually, but it's important to know the roots of each and know that Halloween and the Mexican Day of the Dead are different things.

Mexican[Day of the Dead Dia de los muertos]was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008.Michoacán's local cuisine and mariachi are also registered as intangible cultural assets.Mexico is more than just pyramids and beaches!

Mexican Day of the Dead has many similarities to Japanese Obon customs in that families gather to visit graves.It is a mixture of the pre-Spanish colonization customs of honoring the dead and the European Catholic culture brought by the Spanish.Like rice in Japan, corn is the staple food in Mexico, but the period from the end of October to the beginning of November was the end of the corn production season and the beginning of cultivation of new crops.In Catholic culture, on the other hand, November 10st is the day of all saints, especially child saints. November 11nd is an adult saint.Because these two periods coincide, Mexico celebrates the Day of the Dead at this time.

Furthermore, in some regions, October 10th is the day of the dead for those who died in accidents and disasters, and October 28th is the day of the dead for unbaptized children.

In general, an altar is built in the house so that the deceased can reach their former home without hesitation. I actually make it, put it in a bowl, and offer it to the altar, with a candle and the orange flower in the photo.Cempasúchil, in other words, line up the marigolds and make a path to welcome the soul.Sempastille has been at its peak for shipping and sales since about the week before last, and it is packed in a pick-up like the one in the photo.

Traditionally, families go to the grave on November 11st to clean it up and lay flowers.Afterwards, they spend a short night together with the deceased, eating and drinking on the spot.Some people invite mariachis to the cemetery and enjoy playing and singing live music called Ranchero.It's like a festival.Yes, this is the only day to enjoy not with the deceased, but with the deceased who has come back to life.

Of course, this custom has been handed down from generation to generation, but another reason is that it is believed that how you welcome and spend time with the deceased on this day will determine whether prosperity or misfortune will be brought. because

Costume parades and the like have become particularly popular with tourists in recent years, and are not traditional events.I think that there are few people who are originally Mexicans living in Mexico, but who know that the satirical catrina (skeletal woman) who mocks the aristocrats of European thinking is the current situation and paint it. .

In recent years, many foreign tourists, especially Oaxaca, have come to see this day of the dead at a glance.It is a very good thing to have people see Mexican culture, but I often see foreigners who do not know the circumstances misunderstand it as Halloween and dress up badly with alcohol in one hand and make a fuss at the grave. toThe cemetery is for the people of the area, and it is not originally a tourist spot.I am borrowing it only for this period to see their traditions and customs.If you drink and make a fuss in a Japanese cemetery, the first thing you'll probably think is that it's impolite.

After the dead return to the afterlife, the offerings on the altar are enjoyed by the gathered family and eaten together, marking the end of the Day of the Dead.

I won't be in time for this year, but...Please come and see and feel it next year.See you ~

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