wp-singular,portfolio_page-template-default,single,single-portfolio_page,postid-1756,wp-theme-stockholm,stockholm-core-2.3,select-theme-ver-8.9,ajax_fade,page_not_loaded,menu-animation-underline,,qode_menu_,qode-mobile-logo-set,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-6.6.0,vc_responsive

2018

Dia de muertos

( Content currently only available in French )

Following the success of the Dia de Muertos NDG event in 2017, PAAL decided to hold a second edition so that more people could celebrate this Mexican holiday. PAAL organized a Dia de Muertos Ahuntsic event in 2018 and invited the community and its surroundings to come and celebrate the Day of the Dead on October 27 at the Maison de la culture d’Ahuntsic.

Through the exhibit, participants were given the opportunity to discover the meaning of life and death specific to Mexican culture, and to exchange their feelings and opinions regarding these themes.

The objective of this event is to share the richness of Mexican culture and to foster dialogue between members of various cultures so that Montrealers feel proud belonging to a culturally rich and diverse metropolis. A well-integrated and participatory community is a welcoming and open-minded community, devoid of fear of others. Discovering the meaning of the customs and traditions of diverse ethnicities and cultural communities helps to reduce intercultural distance and promotes the well-being of society.

LE JOUR DES MORTS (The day of the Dead)

In the wake of their sedentarization, the ancient populations harmonized their life to the rhythms of the seasons and developed rites and traditions to pay homage and show their gratitude towards nature. In Mexico, the tradition of the Day of the Dead is one of the most significant legacies of indigenous people. Originally, the Aztecs erected circular altars, an evocation of the cyclical nature of life, directly on the ground using seeds of white corn, black bean, bean or red corn, and blue corn. The altars, delimited by a crown of Indian roses, were covered with personal objects of the deceased.

These installations were both instruments to display their mourning, but they also acted as a spiritual guide by helping the spirits of the deceased to leave Earth and find their way to the world of souls. Thus, the pain felt by the family at the eternal departure of their loved one was replaced by a feeling of comfort and acceptance at the idea of having helped the soul to move to the next step of the natural rhythm of life. This tradition took place every year during the harvest season, symbolizing transformation, rest and death in the cycle of nature.

With the arrival of the Spaniards, the altars slowly transformed into what they are today: a syncretism of the traditions of the Aztec people and the Catholic influence. Modern altars are made up of tables decorated with the deceased’s favourite foods. Candles, coloured paper and glasses of water, represent earth, fire, air and water, respectively; the four forces of nature. We also find skulls, incense, cross-shaped objects and various personal items to honour the deceased. Relatives then celebrate the lives of their deceased by singing, dancing and drinking. After all, the Day of the Dead is a joyful event that celebrates the cycle of life and honours the transition from life to death.

At the same time, at the end of October, the monarch butterflies arrive in Mexico. The Purepecha people who inhabit this region believe that butterflies are the souls of their deceased ancestors who return to visit them every year.

Have a good winter preparation season and a Happy Day of the Dead everyone!

Miranda Mendoza was 18 and she was in secondary school. On August 20, she was abducted after leaving school. Her captors demanded the equivalent of a million dollar reward. “We didn’t have that amount. We never saw her -again ,” said one of her relatives. Miranda lived in the State of Mexico, she never returned home.

Yoselin, a friend of hers said, “Miranda was murdered for her poverty. I’m sorry for what they did because what they do to one, they do to all of us. »

Miranda was the cousin of Mariana Garcia who has lived in Quebec since 2010 with her husband Olivier Garneau and their three children: Jacob, Pamela and Emma. Mariana is a friend and collaborator of PAAL. She informed us of the kidnapping of her cousin and afterwards of her murder. We dedicate this altar to Miranda and to all those who died as victims of violence in Mexico, Quebec and throughout the world.

According to official figures, from January to July of this year, 469 investigative cases were recorded for the crime of femicide in Mexico. In 2017, they were 701 and in 2016, 585.

Dia de Muertos Ahuntsic

Following the success of the Dia de Muertos NDG event in 2017, PAAL decided to add a second event so that more people could celebrate this Mexican holiday. PAAL then organized the first edition of the Dia de Muertos Ahuntsic event in 2018, and invited the community of this neighbourhood and its surroundings to come and celebrate the Day of the Dead on October 27 at the Maison de la culture d’Ahuntsic. Through the exhibition and decoration of a traditional altar of the dead, participants were given the opportunity to discover the meaning of life and death specific to Mexican culture and to exchange their feelings and opinions regarding these themes.

The aim of this event is to share the richness of Mexican culture and to promote dialogue between members of various cultures so that Montrealers feel proud to belong to a culturally rich and diverse metropolis. A well-integrated and participatory community is a welcoming and open-minded community, devoid of fear of others. Discovering the meaning of the customs and traditions of diverse ethnicities and cultural communities helps to reduce intercultural distance and promotes the well-being of society.

If you wish to participate in the organization of the event as a partner or sponsor or if you want to purchase a booth as a merchant, please contact Pilar Hernandez at info@paalmtl.org or by phone at 514-657- 4430.