HANAL PIXAN: COLONIAL INFLUENCES

In contemporary Mexican culture, the roots of the Day of the Dead ritual celebration can be traced to ancient reverence and connection to death and the deceased. When the Spanish imposed their colonial systems and culture upon the Mayans in the 17^th century, they brought their own cultural recognition of lost ancestors. In time, these traditions started to blend with Mayan rituals and customs, giving us the colourful celebration we will experience during this final session in Yucatán.

sh colonial buildings that are plentiful in downtown Mérida, and are visible today in the walls of the main cathedral in the Centro Histórico district.

Celebrating Day of the Dead is a tradition that dates back to ancient MesoAmerica – with archeological evidence showing the Maya venerating their ancestors in their homes for over 3,000 years. Hanal Pixan is the Mayan Day of the Dead and is celebrated in the state of Yucatan and larger villages in the peninsula.

Meaning literally "food for the soul" in Maya Yucateco, Hanal Pixan is the name of the celebration to receive the souls of the dead every year. While Day of the Dead is celebrated throughout the Latin American world, the Maya can trace the origins of Hanal Pixan to pre-Conquest ceremonies. These ancient Mayan traditions were combined with Spanish Catholicism and transformed into this celebration that has been practiced by the Maya for countless generations. Unlike Day of the Dead, the Mayan celebration is longer, spanning nine days, from October 31^st until November 8^th, where families hold seven separate feasts over eight days with offerings made to the souls of children and adults. Hanal Pixan rituals incorporate Catholic festivities of All Saint’s Day and the Liturgy of Souls, based on the idea that the dead live on in a separate realm from which they come to visit us every year. It is a joyous and sacred time where families show their love and respect

Yucatán is the homeland of the Maya, an indigenous group of people that have lived in this area for thousands of years and whose descendants continue to reside in this region. The city of Mérida, where Cook It Raw will be based, has the highest indigenous population of any large city in Mexico, with 60% of inhabitants being of Mayan ethnicity.

Founded by Spanish Conquistadors in 1542, Mérida was built on the site of the Mayan city of T’hó and is considered to be the oldest, continuously-occupied city in the Americas. Ancient carved stones from T'ho were widely used to build the Spanish colonial buildings that are plentiful in downtown Mérida, and are visible today in the walls of the main cathedral in the Centro Histórico district.

Celebrating Day of the Dead is a tradition that dates back to ancient MesoAmerica – with archeological evidence showing the Maya venerating their ancestors in their homes for over 3,000 years. Hanal Pixan is the Mayan Day of the Dead and is celebrated in the state of Yucatan and larger villages in the peninsula.

Meaning literally "food for the soul" in Maya Yucateco, Hanal Pixan is the name of the celebration to receive the souls of the dead every year. While Day of the Dead is celebrated throughout the Latin American world, the Maya can trace the origins of  to pre-Conquest ceremonies. These ancient Mayan traditions were combined with Spanish Catholicism and transformed into this celebration that has been practiced by the Maya for countless generations. Unlike Day of the Dead, the Mayan celebration is longer, spanning nine days, from October 31^st until November 8^th, where families hold seven separate feasts over eight days with offerings made to the souls of children and adults. Hanal Pixan rituals incorporate Catholic festivities of All Saint’s Day and the Liturgy of Souls, based on the idea that the dead live on in a separate realm from which they come to visit us every year. It is a joyous and sacred time where families show their love and respect for ancestors, while celebrating the cycle of life, family relationships and community solidarity.