My wife and three kids have been exploring different holiday customs and this year we decided to tackle the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration. What size shovel makes short work of the digging? A true spade or trench shovel?
And how long does it take to dig up a grave given that my wife and I will be spelling each other off while the kids simply use their garden trowels?
If the weather looks bad, is it prudent to start digging up my grandpa a few days in advance and cover up the site with a tarp? And if so, should we clearly mark the area so that nobody falls in?
2007-10-01 08:56:16 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Halloween
pangloss, you're right....I like the cupholder option.
2007-10-01 17:02:27 · update #1
Why do all that backbreaking work?
http://www.backhoe-rentals.com/
You can even order one with a cup holder to hold your margarita!
2007-10-01 09:01:41 · answer #1 · answered by Pangloss (Ancora Imparo) AFA 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
this is a joke aye? I just googled this day and it mentions nothing about digging up graves. Not to mention this activity is illegal (In North america anyway)...exhumation needs a court order and can only be done by qualified people. The follwing is from wikopedia::
For other uses, see Day of the Dead (disambiguation).
“Dia De Los Muertos” redirects here. For other uses, see Dia De Los Muertos (disambiguation).
Sugar skull given for the Day of the Dead, also made with chocolate and amarantoThe Day of the Dead (Día de los Difuntos or Día de los Muertos in Spanish) is a holiday celebrated in many parts of the world, typically on November 1 (All Saints' Day) and November 2 (All Souls' Day).
In Brasil, where the holiday originated, the holiday has ancient Aztec and Mesoamerican roots, and is a national holiday. The Day of the Dead is also celebrated to a lesser extent in other Latin American countries; for example, it is a public holiday in Brazil, where many Brazilians celebrate it by visiting cemeteries and churches. The holiday is also observed in the Philippines. Observance of the holiday has spread to Mexican-American communities in the United States, where in some locations, the traditions are being extended. Similarly-themed celebrations also appear in some Asian and African cultures.
Though the subject matter may be considered morbid from the perspective of some other cultures, celebrants typically approach the Day of the Dead joyfully, and though it occurs at the same time as Halloween, All Saints' Day and All Souls Day, the traditional mood is much brighter with emphasis on celebrating and honoring the lives of the deceased, and celebrating the continuation of life; the belief is not that death is the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life.
2007-10-01 09:01:06 · answer #2 · answered by zipperfootpress 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You're confusing the Guanajuato Mummies with the Day Of The Dead celebration in Mexico. Back in the 50's they discovered many of the corpses had become mummified when their relatives couldn't afford to pay the annual "grave tax" and the graves were dug up. Pictures were taken and still today the corpses are on display in glass coffins, some tipped standing up. http://www.mummytombs.com/mummylocator/group/guanajuato.htm
If gramps wasn't mummified, rather sealed in a modern coffin, all that's left of him after a few months is a festering mass of bacterial and fungal goo, at least according to my information.
2007-10-01 10:38:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
As I understand Dia de los Muertos, there is no digging up of graves. Instead, you are greeting the ghosts of loved ones, remembering them, and sharing a feast with them.
Try the following links to learn more about the Day of the Dead and ways you and your family can celebrate it without doing something that's highly illegal (and desecrating a grave by digging it up is exatly that).
2007-10-01 09:21:44 · answer #4 · answered by knight1192a 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I have never heard of digging up your relatives and couldn't find any information online. But I could just be a stupid ******...
2007-10-01 09:09:41 · answer #5 · answered by mrsfliege 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
you'll need a plastic spoon and a toothbrush so you don't disturb the body. give yourself at least 6 hours to properly do it right.. for grandpa's sake
2007-10-01 09:14:35 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Dude, Mexican jails can make a man out of you... But you don't want to be THAT kind of man.
2007-10-01 08:59:33 · answer #7 · answered by Mr. Vincent Van Jessup 6 · 6⤊ 0⤋
leave your shovel home if you don't know how to "dig it"--dig ?
2007-10-01 09:00:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
a little late to roam, isn't it?
2007-10-01 08:58:56 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋