What is the Catrina skull?
The elegant skull has become a festive symbol of the Dia de los Muertos – but its original inception was a statement of more than just the inevitability of death. This face has a definite aesthetic: a skull, wearing a much-embroidered bonnet resplendent with flowers.
What does La Catrina represent?
La Calavera Catrina was created circa 1910 as a reference to the high-society obsession with European customs and by extension, Mexican leader Porfirio Diaz, whose corruption ultimately led to the Mexican Revolution of 1911. …
Was La Catrina a real person?
La Catrina’s origins can be traced to an early parody from a lithographer named José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913). La Catrina originally had nothing to do with the Mexican holiday Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Artist José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) began his career as a lithography teacher.
Who is Katarina Dia de los Muertos?
La Calavera Catrina or Catrina La Calavera Garbancera (‘Dapper Skeleton’, ‘Elegant Skull’) is a 1910–1913 zinc etching by the Mexican printmaker, cartoon illustrator and lithographer José Guadalupe Posada. La Catrina has become an icon of the Mexican Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead.
What did De La Torre say about La Catrina?
“Catrina has come to symbolize not only El Día de los Muertos and the Mexican willingness to laugh at death itself, but originally catrina was an elegant or well-dressed woman, so it refers to rich people,” de la Torre said. “Death brings this neutralizing force; everyone is equal in the end.
What is Calavera de Azúcar?
Calaveras de Azucar A calavera de azucar is a skull made out of sugar which is used to decorate Day of the Dead altars. They are often decorated with colorful icing and the name of a living person is written across the top, and given as a gift to that person.
Why are toys placed on an ofrenda?
Indicating that the offerings are meant for them. Personal items, will vary according to the age of the deceased. For children, it is common to place toys on the altar. In some places, they are even remembered separately as angelitos (little angels) on the day before.
Who is Mictecacihuatl?
Mictecacihuatl was known as the “lady of the dead.” She ruled the underworld, and watched over the bones of the dead, which the Aztecs believed were a source of life in the next world. Her grinning skull face is strongly associated with Dia de Muertos.
Why are marigolds used for Dia de los Muertos?
The Aztec name for the flower is cempasúchil, and the flowers are believed to help guide lost souls. It’s believed that their pungent smell is what helps guide souls to the ofrendas. They are also referred to as “Flor de Muerto” or “Flower of Dead” and symbolize the beauty and fragility of life.