Honoring Memory: Wixárika worldview
Día de Muertos for the Wixárika people represents the transitory return home of souls to be with their loved ones and nourish themselves with the essence of what is offered in their honor.
As part of their worldview, special sacred ceremonies that last a week are carried out to honor those who have passed away.
On November 2nd, an altar is prepared with traditional foods and beverages that the loved one enjoyed in life, to be eaten as a family, either at home or at the cemetery.
The altar for Día de Muertos in the Wixárika culture represents the return of the deceased from beyond to be with their loved ones and together remember their moments in life. The soul identifies itself with the photograph placed on the altar and joyfully arrives to wash and dry their hands using the gourd filled with water, soap and a towel, and in that way taste what has been prepared as an offering.
On the table traditional foods are placed that have been previously blessed by a spiritual guide, such as tamales, gorditas and the fruits the person most enjoyed; ancestral beverages, such as tejuino and atole, are also served in gourds; on the floor, a mat is adorned with cempasúchil (marigold) petals and candles to guide the way to the altar.
The cempasúchil flower is one of the main elements. This flower is the one that guides deceased family members so that they may arrive home, placing vases to give off aroma, a harmonious essence.
Through artisanal pieces that are placed on the altar, the deceased can remember their legacy and remain alive through their creations. Their complete traditional attire is put out so that they may take a place at the table, an embroidered tablecloth, decorative skulls and jícaras made with beads and a satchel made from back-strap weaving, which will help them take their food upon returning to the beyond.
Honoring the memory of our ancestors with the Wixárika worldview, we share and preserve ancestral knowledge of the original peoples that form part of our collective cultural identity.
