Far from an extension of our secular Halloween, this Mexican celebration is a deeply religious custom with its own rituals, folklore and history.
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Articles on Day of the Dead
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Part of the Christian tradition of Allhallowtide, All Souls’ Day – or the Day of the Dead – takes on special meaning as COVID changes the way we think about life and death.
A Mexican-American scholar writes that in the 1700s, Day of the Dead generated the largest annual market in Mexico City.
Day of the Dead rituals help people connect with their ancestors, which the Aztecs believed was key to well-being.
It may sound like a solemn affair, but the Day of the Dead – which blends indigenous and Catholic ritual – is a convivial celebration that allows Mexicans to reconnect with deceased loved ones.
Many in the Western world lack the explicit mourning rituals that help people deal with loss. On Day of the Dead, two scholars describe ancient mourning practices.
Australia has few public rituals around death, leaving people to figure out how to process grief alone. But Mexico’s Day of the Dead, with its focus on art and community, could help us cope better.
How has Malcolm Lowry’s novel stood the test of time?
For more than 500 years, she has wandered, weeping and searching without rest. A ghostly woman in white who is said to have murdered her children, she is doomed to roam the earth, searching for their lost…
Top contributors
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Director of the Center for Mexican American Studies and Associate Professor, Department of English and Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies, The University of Texas at Austin
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Senior Lecturer Film and Media, University of Bradford
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Lecturer in Palliative Care, La Trobe University
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Professor, English and Folklore Studies, University of Oregon
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Lecturer of Folklore, Indiana University
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Associate Professor of Philosophy, State University of New York Cortland
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Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Gettysburg College
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Professor of Film, Media, and Popular Culture, Auckland University of Technology
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Lecturer in Culture & Performance, Arizona State University
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Lecturer In Hispanic Studies, University of Southampton
