The origin of the Day of the Dead rugs, like most traditions of contemporary Mexico, is pure syncretism, a fusion between pre-Hispanic and Spanish rituals.
In fact, these are inspired by pre-Hispanic traditions, those that paid tribute to those who began their journey to Mictlán and returned to the earthly world, the first two days of November, to visit their living loved ones.
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Likewise, it is said that the tradition of making mats arose during the Corpus Christi festival on the island of Tenerife, in Spain; and since the Middle Ages, the streets were decorated with images of the crucified Christ and the Virgin Mary made with flowers and sand.
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Later, the Spanish would bring this practice to Latin America and in our country it would be very well assimilated to commemorate the Day of the Dead, since it was equated to the offerings that pre-Hispanic civilizations made to honor their gods.
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Sawdust mats, a Day of the Dead tradition
Throughout Mexico we can enjoy these colorful rugs in public spaces where offerings for the dead are placed and assembled with various materials such as sawdust, sand, even soil, flower petals and seeds. For example, in Atlixco, Puebla, starting on October 28, a mat is made with some 150,000 typical seasonal flowers on the esplanade of the Municipal Palace.
Likewise, this ephemeral art can be seen in the towns of Zaachila and Tuxtepec in Oaxaca, in Querétaro, Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Hidalgo and in the Zócalo of Mexico City.
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Make your own Day of the Dead mats at home
What do you need?
- A clean surface.
- A piece of cardboard with the image you want to replicate: skulls, flowers or catrinas.
- Sawdust bags of different colors.
- A funnel.
- Water atomizer.
Do you already have all the materials? Let’s do it:
- Place the cardboard with the chosen image in the place where the mat will remain.
- Carefully fill each space in the image using the funnel.
- When you have finished the mat, spray it with a little water to prevent the sawdust from spreading. This way it will last more days.
- Finally, you can complement the decoration of the mat with marigold flowers, candles, seeds and chopped paper. There is no limit to the imagination!
Keep reading: Crafts for Day of the Dead Celebrate and have fun at home!