"Prostate yourself here where eternity begins and the earthly greatness is dust" These words can be read every year in the Pantheon barrio, during La Muerteada festival in the hillside town of San Agustín of Etla. This carnival of Death as a part of the cycle of life is celebrated since time inmemorial, its origin is lost back to hundreds of years before, in prechristian times. The oldest people remember it has always been celebrated at the beginning of November and the performance is played by street dancers groups called Las comparsas de los muertos, some of them in masks and costumed characters representing different personages related with the Death, the great equalizer. These parades are all played by men, playing roles of both men and woman characters as the Old man, the Widow, The Dead Husband,
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Dia de los Muertos recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience, a continuum with birth, childhood, and growing up to become a contributing member of the community. On Dia de los Muertos, the dead are also a part of the community, awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones.
The most familiar symbol of Dia de los Muertos may be the calacas and calaveras (skeletons and skulls), which appear everywhere during the holiday: in candied sweets, as parade masks, as dolls. Calacas and calaveras are almost always portrayed as enjoying life, often in fancy clothes and entertaining situations.
The Etla municipality was founded in 1583, and its Day of the Deadcomparsas have been celebrated "since time immemorial," as one local newspaper put it (link in Spanish). The bands and costumed revelers (representing archetypal figures such as the Dead Husband, the Devil, the Priest, and so on) move from house to house, playing music, dancing and
Dia de los Muertos recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience, a continuum with birth, childhood, and growing up to become a contributing member of the community. On Dia de los Muertos, the dead are also a part of the community, awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones.
The most familiar symbol of Dia de los Muertos may be the calacas and calaveras (skeletons and skulls), which appear everywhere during the holiday: in candied sweets, as parade masks, as dolls. Calacas and calaveras are almost always portrayed as enjoying life, often in fancy clothes and entertaining situations.
The Etla municipality was founded in 1583, and its Day of the Deadcomparsas have been celebrated "since time immemorial," as one local newspaper put it (link in Spanish). The bands and costumed revelers (representing archetypal figures such as the Dead Husband, the Devil, the Priest, and so on) move from house to house, playing music, dancing and