Research Description:

Home Altars and Day of the Dead: A Study of the Religious Iconography and What it Entails

The home altars of Merida, Yuctan are scattered throughout the neighborhood homes and shops. Each has a set of inconography and materials that are a part of the blending of the hundreds of years of Catholic inlfuence, and also the an aspect of the cultural influence of Mexico. The ancestor cult of Mexico, is most prevelant during the Day of the Dead at the end of October. This is a celebration for deceased family members and loved ones souls, that are believed to return on Day of the Dead. Iconography of this celebration parallels those of home altars on a larger scale. How the people of Mexico have masterfully taken two opposing belief systems and created one is evident through these two manifestations of Mexican culture, Day of the Dead and home altars. The icononagraphy itself is the focus of this project, using it as the signifiers to the melding of religous and cultural beliefs. By interviewing participants of these two aspects of Mexican culture, I am studying exactly how these two belief systems can function together and reinforce both the Catholic Church belief system and at the same time keep alive the cultural traditions of Mexico.