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What flower is used for Day of the Dead?

marigolds

The most popular Day of the Dead flowers used for celebrations are cempazuchitl flowers, also known as “marigolds.” Decorating for Day of the Dead is one of the most beautiful things about the holiday, and flowers are often a big part of these decorations.

(Hannah)

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The Lady Of The Dead, otherwise known as Mictecacihuatl was known to rule the underworld, and watched over the bones of the dead which was believed by the Aztecs to be the source of life in the next world.

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why are marigold flowers used in day of the dead celebrations?

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why are marigold flowers used in day of the dead celebrations?

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In addition to its decorative uses, the marigold serves a practical purpose in Day of the Dead rituals. Prized for their bright colouring and potent fragrance, marigolds are thought to attract the souls of the dead to the ofrendas prepared for them.

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Flowers, which symbolize the brevity of life, are an essential element of the Day of the Dead ofrenda. Though many different flowers are used in Day of the Dead celebrations, one flower has become a national symbol for the festival: the marigold. Also called cempasúchil (the flower of 400 lives), k'etsikarhani, or cempoaxotchil, the marigold holds a revered place in pre-Columbian religious history. According to legend, cempasúchil, which comes from the Nahuatl words cemposalli, meaning "twenty," and xochitl, or "flower," making marigolds the "flower of twenty petals," were miraculously gifted to the Nahua by Tonatiuh, their sun god, so that they might honor their dead. Today, the marigold continues to be featured prominently in all aspects of Day of the Dead rituals.

Marigolds are used in the construction of the floral arches, garlands, wreaths, crucifixes, and five-point stars that accompany ofrendas in many regions and in the decoration of gravesites and home altars. In addition to its decorative uses, the marigold serves a practical purpose in Day of the Dead rituals. Prized for their bright coloring and potent fragrance, marigolds are thought to attract the souls of the dead to the ofrendas prepared for them. Families will often scatter marigold petals forming a path from their front doors to the ofrenda waiting within the home. In smaller towns, families might even lay a floral path from the cemetery to their front doors to lead the dead home. In larger towns where this is not possible, a family might still scatter a path of marigold petals in the direction of the cemetery to ensure that the souls of the dead make their way safely to and from their final destinations. The petals of the marigold are also thought to possess cleansing properties, and families will often use them to form a cross on the floor in front of the ofrenda so that the souls may be cleansed of their sins and guilt when they tread upon it.

Covarrubias, A. M. (2012). Día DE LOS MUERTOS (DAY OF THE DEAD). In M. Herrera-Sobek, Celebrating Latino folklore: an encyclopedia of cultural traditions. ABC-CLIO. Credo Reference: https://ezproxy.ollusa.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/abcclioclft/dia_de_los_muertos_day_of_the_dead/0?institutionId=3517

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Research Starters: Dia de los Muertos / Day of the Dead: Marigolds

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Research Starters: Dia de los Muertos / Day of the Dead: Marigolds

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a skull made of sugar

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This is something they use melons for (like cocktails)

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This is something they use melons for (like cocktails)

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They are ofrendas, or offerings, put on altars to entice deceased loved ones to come back for a visit. The salt food and drink are a big part of the festival.

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Papel picado is a decor used in social gatherings parties and are used to celebrate the day of the dead

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Marigold flowers are traditional flower used on the day of the dead

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El Dia de los Muertos goes back to the Aztecs, who had an entire month celebrating to the dead. Festivities were dedicated over by the goddess Mictecacihuatl . The annual rite features skeletons, altars and other trappings of death, but the ancient holiday celebrates life in its embrace of death. (Hannah)

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day of the dead is a holiday that Spanish invaders brought to Mexico, starting in the early 1500s. The holiday, which is celebrated mostly in Mexico in November. It is like a family reunion—except dead ancestors are the guests of honor. People celebrate it to remember the people that have passed and celebrate them.

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This is when public festivities are held to honor all the spirits together. Those celebrating may participate in face painting, parades, and visiting the graves of loved ones. Many people also take time to clean up their loved ones' grave site and leave gifts, flowers, and sugar skulls.

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La Calavera Catrina - the elegant skull

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Day of the Dead combines the ancient Aztec tradition of celebrating ancestors with All Souls' Day, a holiday that Spanish invaders brought to Mexico in the early 1500s. The holiday, which is celebrated mostly in Mexico on November 1 and 2, is like a family reunion which includes dead family members (Hannah)

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The Day of the Dead is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6, may be included depending on the locality. It is widely observed in Mexico, where it largely developed, and is also observed in other places, especially by people of Mexican heritage

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what is papel picado and how is it used?

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what is papel picado and how is it used?

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Papel picado is a traditional Mexican decorative craft made by cutting elaborate designs into sheets of tissue paper. it is used for parties, family gatherings or as simple decorations at home.

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Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life (2020) | Documentary

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The holiday, which is celebrated mostly in Mexico on November 1 and 2, is like a family reunion—except dead ancestors are the guests of honor. Day of the Dead is a joyful time that helps people remember the deceased and celebrate their memory.

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day of the dead is a festival that celebrates the dead

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how do people dress for day of the dead?

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how do people dress for day of the dead?

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This is how people dress up for Day of the Dead in costumes such as skeletons

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This is how people dress up for Day of the Dead in costumes such as skeletons

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How do people dress for day off the day?

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How do people dress for day off the day?

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What is Day of the Dead? | National Geographic

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Papel picado ("perforated paper," "pecked paper") is a traditional Mexican decorative craft made by cutting elaborate designs into sheets of tissue paper.[1] Papel picado is considered a Mexican folk art. The designs are commonly cut from as many as 40-50 colored tissue papers stacked together and using a guide or template, a small mallet, and chisels, creating as many as fifty banners at a time.

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Papel picado ("perforated paper," "pecked paper") is a traditional Mexican decorative craft made by cutting elaborate designs into sheets of tissue paper.[1] Papel picado is considered a Mexican folk art. The designs are commonly cut from as many as 40-50 colored tissue papers stacked together and using a guide or template, a small mallet, and chisels, creating as many as fifty banners at a time.

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Papel picado for sale at a market in Coyoacán, Mexico City for Day of the Dead.

Papel picado coming down from a Mexican church.

Papel picado ("perforated paper," "pecked paper") is a traditional Mexican decorative craft made by cutting elaborate designs into sheets of tissue paper. Papel picado is considered a Mexican folk art. The designs are commonly cut from as many as 40-50 colored tissue papers stacked together and using a guide or template, a small mallet, and chisels, creating as many as fifty banners at a time. Papel picado can also be made by folding tissue paper and using small, sharp scissors. Common themes include birds, floral designs, and skeletons. Papel picados are commonly displayed for both secular and religious occasions, such as Easter, Christmas, the Day of the Dead, as well as during weddings, quinceañeras, baptisms, and christenings. In Mexico, papel picados are often incorporated into the altars ( ofrendas) during the Day of the Dead and are hung throughout the streets during holidays. In the streets of Mexico, papel picados are often strung together to create a banner that can either be hung across alleyways or displayed in the home.

Interior of the municipal palace of Atlixco, Puebla with papel picado celebrating Independence Day.

In early Mexico, Aztec people chiseled spirit figures into bark. Aztecs used mulberry and fig tree bark to make a rough paper called . This custom evolved later into the art form now known as papel picado. Near the middle of the nineteenth century, Mexican people first encountered tissue paper at hacienda stores and adapted it to the craft. Nowadays, artisans usually layer 40 to 50 layers of tissue paper and punch intricate designs into them using a fierrito, a type of chisel.

Photo of typical Mexican offering at Tec de Monterrey CCM.

San Salvador Huixcolotla is a municipality in the Mexican state of Puebla and is considered the birthplace of papel picado. This town is known for having a large community of craftsmen who produce high-quality papel picados.

In Huixcolotla, papel picado is primarily created for the celebrations of the Day of the Dead. However, papel picados are also crafted for many other holidays and special events. It was in Huixcolotla that its townspeople took colorful papel de China (China paper) and began crafting intricate patterns. Over time, the tool used to make papel picado has changed from scissors to chisels because of the greater precision and detailing they allow. Traditionally, the art of making papel picado has been passed from generation to generation. By 1970, it became common for those in Mexico to decorate their streets with papel picado and used them to decorate their altars during the day of the dead. Around 1930, the art form spread from Huixcolotla to other parts of Mexico such as Puebla and Tlaxcala. Sometime in the 1960s, papel picado spread to Mexico City and thence to the United States and Europe.

A variety of chisels that can be used to craft designs into a variety of materials, such as tissue paper.

Traditionally, papel picados are crafted entirely by hand.

When crafting a papel picado, the first step is to draw out the selected design onto the paper and then cover the paper with transparent plastic; this will protect the original drawing. To produce multiple copies at once, one stacks 40 to 50 sheets of China paper and staples them together. Using a small mallet and chisels with variously shaped tips, the artist then cuts out pieces of the paper from the stack. This technique allows the carving of a design to be multiplied.

The stack is then separated, with each sheet of paper being a papel picado. Each layer is identical to all the others in a pile. Afterwards, papel picados (or "banderitas") are typically hung with strings or attached to wooden dowels.

The primary materials to make a traditional papel picado are tissue paper (papel de seda), a stencil, a small mallet, and chisels. However, papel picados can also be made using rice or silk paper, and have been known to be cut with scissors or a craft knife.

The Ministry of Tourism and Culture officially recognizes and supports the art of papel picado. In 1998, the governor of the state of Puebla decreed that the style of papel picado produced in San Salvador Huixcolota is part of the cultural heritage of the state of Puebla (Patrimonio Cultural del Estado de Puebla).

A Day of the Dead themed papel picado created for an ofrenda.

With countless combinations of patterns and colors, there are many different types of papel picados used in Mexican celebrations. Specific patterns of papel picados are believed to hold significant meaning and worldly influence. Thus, the design that is cut into a papel picado is determined by the particular event of which it is displayed.

Day of the Dead

One of the most recognizable types of papel picados are those hung during the Mexican holiday Dia de Muertos ( Day of the Dead, 1 November). Papel Picados used in Dia de Muertos are often cut with patterns of skulls and strung around altars ( ofrendas). Ofrendas highlight the four elements of the earth: fire, water, Earth, and air, of which papel picados represent air.

A papel picado with the pattern of two angels praying before the Eucharist.

Papel picados made for Christmas are traditionally done with red or green tissue paper and with patterns of people and or objects relating to the holiday such as baby Jesus, angels, the Virgin Mary, Christmas trees, and bells.

When crafted for weddings, papel picados are usually done on white tissue paper and engraved with patterns such as doves, hearts, churches, and wedding cakes. Moreover, these types of papel picado are crafted in a way to resemble white lace.

Cut paper figures

Papel picados are also used to assist in one's life journey.

It is believed that if someone wanted to improve a relationship, better their crops, or receive assistance in a particular area of their life, they would go to the shaman (someone thought to have contact with the spirits) who would cut a figure into a papel picado themed to the person's specific need, which would help their situation. For the papel picados to do their job of assisting in one's life, they must be placed either on the family altar or in a more specific area, depending on the particular purpose of the papel picado.

Papel picado

Olga Ponce Furginson (born 1918) is an artist who grew up in Mexico and, after graduating from Woodbury University in Burbank, California and staying in the United States, has opened several exhibits and has had some of her artwork featured in films and television shows.[10]

Margaret Sosa (born 1948) graduated from California State University and has studied papel picado for over three decades. She worked under master papel picado artist Olga Ponce Furginson, and her artwork can now be found in exhibits around the world.[12]

Margaret 'Quica' Alarcón (born 1969) was raised in East Los Angeles and now lives a life as an artist and teacher. Her artwork has been featured in many museums such as the Palos Verdes Art Center, Galeria Otra Vez in Self Help Graphics & Art, and Avenue 50 Studio.[13]

Herminia Albarrán Romero is a Mexican-American artist who is best known for her papel picado, of which she learned to make at a young age. In 2005, she received the United States' highest honor in the folk and traditional arts-the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).[14]

Kathleen Trenchard is an author and artist who specializes in papel picado and teaches painting, drawing, and art appreciation out of her studio in San Antonio, Texas.[16]

1. ^ Herrera-Sobek, María (2012). Celebrating Latino Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Cultural Traditions. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780313343391.

2. ^ Crystal Bridges (2014-09-11), Catalina Delgado-Trunk-The History and Tradition of Papel Picado, archived from the original on 2021-12-21

3. ^ Garza, Carmen Lomas (1999). Making magic windows : creating papel picado/cut-paper artwith Carmen Lomas Garza. Internet Archive. San Francisco, Calif. : Children's Book Press/Libros Para Ninos. ISBN 9780892391592.

4. Mohr, Angela. "Papercutting." ^ The Encyclopedia of American Folk Art, edited by Gerard C. Wertkin, and Lee Kogan, Routledge, 1st edition, 2003. Credo Reference, https://cod.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/routfolkart/papercutting/0?institutionId=2869 . Accessed 02 Nov. 2018.

5. ^ "shaman | Definition of shaman in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on April 2, 2017.

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Papel picado ("perforated paper," "pecked paper") is a traditional Mexican decorative craft made by cutting elaborate designs into sheets of tissue paper. Papel picado is considered a Mexican folk art. The designs are commonly cut from as many as 40-50 colored tissue papers stacked together and using a guide or template, a small mallet, and chisels, creating as many as fifty banners at a time.

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papel picado is paper shapes cut out on coloured pieces of card.

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papel picado is paper shapes cut out on coloured pieces of card.