Today, the commemoration of the dead conserves its religious and popular significance by paying tribute to those who have passed away in an environment steeped in contradictions of bereavement and celebration, of sadness and silly gibberish. The belief that life continues after death, that the souls of the dead travel and that they communicate with the living, the uncertainty about the destiny of souls provoked by the certainty of final judgment, continue to be the substance and reason for the existence of the funerary rituals.
In Michoacán the celebrations begin October 31st with the Hunting of the Duck, an activity on the verge of disappearing due to the scarcity of ducks. This followed by the placement on the Altar of the “Little Angels” on November 1st, and concluding with the homage to deceased adults on the 2nd. These rituals take place mainly in the region around Lake Pátzcuaro and some other P’urepecha communities.
HUNTING OF THE DUCK: This activity was still practiced by people from many of the towns surrounding Lake Pátzcuaro up until a few decades ago. It was quite a show to see the hunters emerging from the cardinal points in their traditional canoes in search of ducks. Today this tradition continues only in a few towns, such as Janitzio. The hunt begins in the early hours of the 31st. The kill will serve as part of the food offered to the dead in the days to come. A number of hunters practice this tradition both for ceremony and sport. They utilize harpoons or lances armed with reeds as well as some firearms.
GATHERING AND OFFERING: One of the ceremonies which occur during these few days is the collective gathering and offering organized by the P’urepechan youth as a type of “looting” which is both accepted and supported by the authorities of the community.
The game begins the night of November 1st, when the young people of the town, accompanied by their guide, celebrated the teruscan, a type of acceptable theft, stealing ears of corn, chayotes, squash, flowers and other recently-harvested food products from corrals and rooftops. The adults wait for the loot in the atrium of the church or in a community house to cook the food in a community-owned copper kettle. This serves as an offering to those deceased who no longer have living relatives to remember them and is distributed among those in attendance at the wake.
The offering of the fruits of the harvest was gathered the morning of November 2nd, when the townspeople take to the streets shouting for donations. This is known as the Campaneri. The products thus obtained are handed over to the priest of the town, who say rosaries for the dead that same afternoon.
VIGIL OF THE LITTLE ANGELS: Offerings and altars are placed for dead children on November 1st. If it is the first offering, the godfather from the baptism brings an arch, which is arranged with flowers known as cempoalxóchitl or tringuini-tzitziqui or marigolds, and flower of the soul, a type of orchid that blooms this time of year. The arch also has sugar candies in the form of angels or small animals, toys, and even clothing.
The entire family participates in decorating the altar. This is announced with firecrackers during the walk from the godparents’ house to that of the deceased godchild. Those in the procession sing and pray. In the home of the deceased child, the altar is hung. The parents have prepared traditional dishes such as pozole(hominy and pork stew), tamales (corn meal cakes), atole ( a hot, flavored cornstarch beverage), among others and invited from the procession.
Very early on the morning of the 1st, the parents and godparents of the child take the offering to the cemetery. They remain there from five to nine a.m., at which time they ligth candles as a remembrance of the light of Christ and they offer their tributeto the child.
