Day of the Dead, a bit of history & a look at ancient beliefs...

         I was fascinated to learn more about the complex tradition of this holiday called Day of the Dead, which today is a blend of indigenous and Christian practices. It began as an indigenous Aztec tradition, with the belief that we stay connected to those who die even after their death, through our memories and spirits. The ancient Aztecs believed our post-death journey depended not on how we lived, but how we died.  In wikipedia articles I read about Day of the Dead, I found it interesting that the Spanish and English versions were different.  The English article mentioned nothing of the ancient Aztec beliefs in the afterlife, while the Spanish article gave a detailed and interesting description of these Aztec beliefs.  Following is a bit of what I learned from reading these articles and talking with people here in Mexico.        
               Before Spaniards arrived in Mexico, the indigenous Aztecs did not have the same ideas about death as the Catholic religion that there is a heaven and hell to reward or punish.  There were several places one could go after death, depending on how that person died.  One of those places was El Tlalocan, the paradise of Tlaloc, God of Rain.  People were believed to go here if they died of sicknesses related to water such as drowning, being hit by a lightning bolt, gout.  Children who were sacrificed to God were also believed to go to Tlalocan.  Tlalocan was believed to be a place of rest, repose, and abundance.  Usually the prehispanic cremated or burned bodies, but if one was expected to go to Tlalocan, they were buried. 
Another possible destination was Omeyocan, the paradise of the Sun, ruled by Huitzilopochtli, the God of War.  Women who had died in childbirth, and men who had died in battle went here.  They were buried in the patio of a great palace and they would journey with the sun to its peak in the west.  It was considered a great honor and privelage to go to Omeyocan.  This place was a reward for the bravery of these warriors of birth and battle.  To die in birth or battle was considered the best way to die.  The indigenous Aztec had a different sense of hope about death : through death was the possibility of being with sun and experience the daily birth and rise of light.  Omeyocan was a place of endless enjoyment.  Afterall the sun was always having a party.  It was a place full of music, song, and dance.  After four years of being in Omeyocan, these warriors were believed to have returned to earth as birds, with multicolored beautiful feathers.  

A third possibility was El Mictlan, where those who had died a natural death went.  In this place there lived a Senor and Senora, or Mr. and Mrs. Death, who were named Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl. It was a very dark place without light or windows, and it was not possible to leave.  The path to arrive at Mictlan was arduous and spirits had to go through different experiences for 4 years in order to arrive.  In order to make this journey, the dead were buried with a dog, who helped them cross a river and arrive to see Mr. Death or Mictlantecuhtli.  They had to deliver an offering of bundles of tea, perfume, cotton, colored threads, and blankets to him.  As an Ofrenda or Offering, those who went to Mictlan received 4 arrows and 4 bundles of tea tied with a cotton string. 

Children who had died went to a special place called Chichihuacuauhco.  Here there was believed to be a grand tree with branches dripping with milk for the children to eat.  The children who arrived here returned to earth when the people who had lived there were destroyed (maybe by a natural or man made disaster).  In this way, their death was a symbol for the circular rebirth of life. 

Prehispanic people were buried with two types of things.  It was important they had things they had used in life, and second, and things the dead would need for the journey ahead. 
When Roman Catholic Spaniards arrived in Mexico, the connection was made between this Aztec tradition and Christianity's belief in the resurrection and life beyond death. While the ancient Aztecs celebrated this tradition for months, today, the holiday is celebrated for two days, November 1, the Catholic All Saints Day and November 2, the Catholic All Souls Day.  Today the holiday or similar types of celebrations are practiced all over the world, in Europe, Asia, Guatemala, Haiti, Brazil, and many other places.