'Dia de los Muertos' - The Embassy of Mexico in Jamaica Celebrates the Day of the Dead

As practised by the indigenous communities of Mexico, el Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) commemorated the transitory return to Earth of deceasedrelatives and loves ones.

The festivals take place eachyear at the end of October to the beginning of November. This period also marks the completion of the annual cycle of cultuvation of maize, the country's predominant food crop. Families facilitate the return of the souls to Earth by laying flower petals, candles and offerings along the path leading from the cemetry to their homes. The deceased's favourite dishes are prepared and placed around the home shrine and the tomb alongside flowers and typical handicrafts such as paper cutouts. Great care is taken with all aspects of the preparations for it is believed that the dead are capable of bringing prosperity or misfortune upon their families depending on how satisfactorily the rituals are executed.

The Day of the Dead celebrations holds great significance in the life of Mexico's indigenous communities. The fusion of pre Hispanic religious rites and Catholic feasts brings togeher two universes, one marked by indigenous belief systems, the other by worldviews introduced by the Europeans in the sixteenth century. Due to its importance to the preservation of cultural identity, The Indigenoud Festival Dedicated to the Dead was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2003, "Masterpiece of the Oral and intangible Heritage of Humanity".

The Mexican Embassy in Jamaica celebrated this event on October 30th 2012 in Kingston, with other Ambassadors showing great support including Ambassadors from Brazil, Dominican Republic, the European Union, Cuba, Belgium, among others.




The Ambassador of Mexico to Jamaica
H.E. Gerardo Lozano Arredondo in conversation
with a guest. More pictures from the event are available at
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