02/11/2023
🦴 the tradition, Part 2 🦴
When a loved one passes away, they are put in a coffin and placed in a “bóveda” - a concrete tomb above the ground. Sometimes they are stacked on top of other family members if the cemetery is overcrowded, but the family need to get permission from the council to do this.
After 3 to 5 years, in the weeks leading up to día del los mu***os, the deceased’s loved ones pick away at the “bóveda” (concrete) top to reveal the coffin and they remove the bones to begin the cleaning ritual so they are ready for Janal Pixan (31 October - 2 November).
Once the bones are cleaned, one by one with a brush, they are placed in a wooden box and displayed in an “osario” - a chamber where the skeletal remains are kept. The box is lined with a clean white cloth with their name and initials embroidered. Previously, the families did the first cleaning of the bones in their homes and stored the bones in a wooden box in their house for a year before they were returned to the cemetery.
The entire ritual is carried out before Janal Pixan and to receive their deceased, they leave offerings, like food, drinks and flowers, either in the “osarios” or on home altars. Families talk to their ancestors and celebrate their lives.
Every year, the families come together to take out the box from the “osarios” and clean the bones from the dirt and dust accumulated from the past year. They also replace the cloths with their names each year. The families repaint the graves with bright colours and their names and on Janal Pixan, some “osarios” are decorated with candles and marigolds.
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