{"id":816,"date":"2025-09-20T08:48:48","date_gmt":"2025-09-20T06:48:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/?p=816"},"modified":"2025-11-29T08:31:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-29T07:31:14","slug":"spirituality-in-mexico-beyond-the-dia-de-los-muertos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/spirituality-in-mexico-beyond-the-dia-de-los-muertos\/","title":{"rendered":"Spirituality in Mexico beyond the Dia de los muertos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Colorful calaveras, altars, parades, music, a thin thread connects the world of the living to that of the dead. This is the Dead\u2019s day, Dia de los muertos<\/strong>, which takes place between October 31st and November 2nd in Mexico. It’s in honor of the Aztec goddess Mictecacihuatl<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"messico\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"messico\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"messico\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dia de los muertos in Mexico<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Dead\u2019s day is a day of celebration and happiness because it creates a spiritual channel that reunites the souls of relatives with those still alive. Spirits are therefore not entities to be feared but rather to be loved. Therefore, people prepare an ofrenda<\/strong> to commemorate them, a special altar with candles, fruit, food, and bread. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To guide the souls to home, families form a path with petals of a special flower called cempasuchil<\/strong> or Indian Carnation, a bright orange flower: the “flower of the dead”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind this celebration lies the complex universe of Mexican spirituality, made up of rituals, popular cults, folklore, a blend of indigenous traditions, particularly Aztec and Mayan, and Catholicism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"messico\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Zinacantan in San Juan Chamula<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In San Juan Chamula<\/strong>, a small town not far from San Cristobal de las Casas, you can find an example of how deeply rooted is the religious syncretism. Here lives the Zinacantan<\/strong> community, speaking the tzotzil <\/strong>language. They are one of the main indigenous groups in Chiapas, known for their distinctive men’s clothing, consisting of waist-cinching woolen tunics, and for their women’s embroidered jackets and long black linen skirts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This ethnic group has maintained its ancient customs, such as weaving on traditional looms to produce ceremonial “huipil emplumado” robes, costumes decorated with chicken feathers. The Zinacantecos also produce rugs, baskets, mats, and hats from palm leaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The local church demonstrates the fusion of the Catholic religion and ancient Mayan culture. Here you can find statues of saints and a floor covered in pine needles, a symbol of their relationship with nature. There are no benches because the faithful sit on the ground. There healing rites take place with fetishes such as bones, eggs and live sacrificed chickens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curanderismo in Mexico: the Limpia ritual<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mexican shamanism, also known as “curanderismo”, is a system of indigenous spiritual and medicinal practices that includes, among others, the Limpia<\/strong> ritual. It is an ancient practice of energetic and spiritual purification that identifies the natural elements of water, earth, and fire. They remove negative energies and restore balance between the physical body and its “double”, the spiritual body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"messico\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The curandero rubs on the body a branch of a special plant, eucalyptus, rue, laurel: they represent the earth. \u201cCopal\u201d, or incense, is a resin sacred to the gods and symbolizes air. Poured onto fire, it forms a smoke blown on mind and heart. The water is flavored with essential oils carefully chosen based on the person and the “illness” to be cured. Another fundamental element during the ritual is the egg, the perfect symbol of fertility and resurrection, passed over the body to absorb negative energies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Temazcal: purification and rebirth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another traditional ritual in Mexican culture is the Temazcal<\/strong>, a purification and rebirth ceremony during which participants sit inside a sweat lodge. It’s built with branches and blankets, mud, or volcanic stone.
The shape of the lodge is not random, but follows a precise geometry that symbolizes plant, animal, human, and mineral kingdoms. The sixteen branches join together to form the dome, an eight-pointed star embodying the planets and the universe. This ritual lasts at least two hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"messico\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The term temazcal derives from temazcalli<\/em>, that in the Uto-Atzec language means “the house of heat”. During the ritual they light a sacred fire to warm the stones. People calls them the “Abuelas”, literally “grandmothers”, since they are something primordial. Water infused with medicinal herbs is poured over them. Leaving the dome is like emerging from the womb of Mother Earth: the temezcal is a rebirth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensegrity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During shamanic practices, curanderos and temazcleros perform “magical movements”, called Tensegrity<\/strong>, which allow them to gather and channel energy. For the same purpose, they use ritual objects such as rattlesnake rattles and “ojo de venado” seeds, or “deer’s eye”, from South American vines. They serve as amulets against the evil eye. Their name comes from the fact that they are black and brown seeds, oval in shape with a dark spot in the center resembling an eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure>
\"messico\"<\/figure>
\"messico\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Folkloristic figures in Mexico<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mexican spirituality is also connected to some folkloristic figures, the result of pre-Columbian beliefs influenced by Spanish and African traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chaneques<\/strong> are spirit-like or elf-like creatures who guard nature and wild species that inhabit forests and caves. “Chaneque” comes from the Nahuatl language and means “those who inhabit dangerous places”. They have the ability to shapeshift and can be white, meaning benevolent, or black, meaning chaos and disorder. According to a local legend, to avoid being robbed by them when venturing into the jungle, you must wear your clothes inside out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The alebrije<\/strong> is a totem animal, a spirit guide, a kind of guardian angel. Pedro Linares, an artist from Mexico City, reproduced these animals in papier-m\u00e2ch\u00e9 after they appeared to him in a dream during his illness. In the Oaxaca region, alebrijes are made from copal wood, carved and painted with handmade pigments and acrylics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Are you ready to reborn through one of these ancient rituals?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Behind the Dia de los muertos lies the complex universe of Mexican spirituality, made up of rituals, popular cults, folklore, a blend of indigenous traditions, particularly Aztec and Mayan, and Catholicism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":817,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[16],"tags":[22,17],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/messico_7.jpg?fit=1500%2C1200&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa7uIP-da","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":874,"url":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/travel-diaries-indonesia-edition-alessandro-and-his-journey\/","url_meta":{"origin":816,"position":0},"title":"Travel diaries, Indonesia Edition! Alessandro and his journey","author":"Fonte Gaia","date":"17 January 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Our \"Travel Diaries\" are back, featuring the destinations you chose with us to explore the world, told through your eyes! This time we \"interviewed\" Alessandro, who literally fell in love with Indonesia","rel":"","context":"In "Travel Diaries"","block_context":{"text":"Travel Diaries","link":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/category\/travel-diaries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"indonesia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/indonesia_bali_9.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/indonesia_bali_9.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/indonesia_bali_9.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/indonesia_bali_9.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":171,"url":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/solo-female-travel-5-inspiring-movies\/","url_meta":{"origin":816,"position":1},"title":"Solo Female Travel: 5 movies to inspire your next destination!","author":"Fonte Gaia","date":"8 March 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Solo Female Travel: 5 films to inspire your next solo female travel around the world!","rel":"","context":"In "Travel World"","block_context":{"text":"Travel World","link":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/category\/travel-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"solo femal travel","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/donne-in-viaggio.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/donne-in-viaggio.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/donne-in-viaggio.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":205,"url":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/travel-diaries\/","url_meta":{"origin":816,"position":2},"title":"Travel Diaries India Edition: the World Through the Travelers\u2019 eyes!","author":"Fonte Gaia","date":"19 April 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"With Travel Diaries we have decided to tell you about a country through the sensations and emotions of those who have visited and chosen it as a \"soul\u2019s journey\".","rel":"","context":"In "Travel Diaries"","block_context":{"text":"Travel Diaries","link":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/category\/travel-diaries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"celebration of chhath puja worshipping of the sun chhath puja is one of the most major festivals of india","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/pexels-photo-16034842.jpeg?fit=1200%2C749&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/pexels-photo-16034842.jpeg?fit=1200%2C749&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/pexels-photo-16034842.jpeg?fit=1200%2C749&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/pexels-photo-16034842.jpeg?fit=1200%2C749&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":683,"url":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/why-traveling-alone-is-the-best-travel-trend-of-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":816,"position":3},"title":"Why traveling alone is the best travel trend of 2025!","author":"Fonte Gaia","date":"31 January 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Traveling alone is first and foremost an opportunity to explore and look inside yourself in a totally new and unusual perspective, far from social expectations. In a certain sense it is traveling towards ourselves,","rel":"","context":"In "Travel Diaries"","block_context":{"text":"Travel Diaries","link":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/category\/travel-diaries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"solo travel","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/viaggiare_in_solitaria1.jpg?fit=1200%2C795&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/viaggiare_in_solitaria1.jpg?fit=1200%2C795&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/viaggiare_in_solitaria1.jpg?fit=1200%2C795&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/viaggiare_in_solitaria1.jpg?fit=1200%2C795&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":380,"url":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/green-planner-10-sustainable-destinations-to-save-the-planet-by-traveling-in-2024\/","url_meta":{"origin":816,"position":4},"title":"Green Planner: 10 sustainable destinations to “save” the planet by traveling in 2024!","author":"Fonte Gaia","date":"24 January 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In a world where resources are limited and the environment is under constant threat, how and where we choose to travel can make a difference, including through a new form of tourism called \"regenerative tourism\".","rel":"","context":"In "Travel Planner Life"","block_context":{"text":"Travel Planner Life","link":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/category\/travel-planning-life\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/sos_03.jpeg?fit=1200%2C967&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/sos_03.jpeg?fit=1200%2C967&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/sos_03.jpeg?fit=1200%2C967&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/sos_03.jpeg?fit=1200%2C967&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6,"url":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/visit-tenerife-island\/","url_meta":{"origin":816,"position":5},"title":"Visit Tenerife: What to know before leaving","author":"Fonte Gaia","date":"23 July 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"If you are packing your bags with dreamy eyes thinking about leaving for Tenerife Island, stop for a moment and take a look at our travel tips! What\u2019s Tenerife? Tenerife is a volcanic island, the largest of the Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean. We could define it as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travel Tips"","block_context":{"text":"Travel Tips","link":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/category\/travel-tips\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/WhatsApp-Image-2018-06-25-at-09.59.21-740x414.jpg?fit=740%2C414&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/WhatsApp-Image-2018-06-25-at-09.59.21-740x414.jpg?fit=740%2C414&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/WhatsApp-Image-2018-06-25-at-09.59.21-740x414.jpg?fit=740%2C414&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=816"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":824,"href":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816\/revisions\/824"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fontegaiatour.it\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}