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The following was written by José López for the Family Search blog.
How do you remember tus antepasados—your ancestors? Do you have those memories preserved so they can be passed on to future generations?
Recently, I told my children the story of a man who recorded all his knowledge on the walls of a cave with the hope that one day this knowledge would be passed on, and others would remember him. The drive to be remembered and to remember your ancestors is powerful. That is why so many cultures have holidays and festivals to celebrate the memories of deceased loved ones.
If this man in my story were living in the 21st century, his journal may have been a notebook, video, blog, or album full of pictures. His children may have added their memories of him as they gathered around their ofrenda or wrote calaveras literarias. We take these memories of our ancestors and celebrate them, share them with our familia, our family. Do you have memories from tus abuelos—your grandparents? What about tus padres—your parents? How can you pass on your own story?
Dia de Muertos—Celebrating Day of the Dead and All Saints Day
If you celebrate a holiday such as Dia de Muertos or Dia de Difuntos, you already have traditions for keeping the memories of your ancestors alive and retelling their stories. Or maybe you haven’t participated in these rich traditions but find them interesting after learning about them from secondary sources such as the Disney movie Coco. Exploring both old and new traditions is a great way to begin remembering your ancestors as unique individuals.
In Guatemala, where I live, the end-of-the-year holidays are very popular. There’s “All Saints Day” or “Day of the Dead” in November (Día de todos los Santos or Dia de Muertos). There’s Dia de los Niños, “Day of the Children,” in October. We even include remembering our ancestors as part of our Christmas celebrations in December. The way people celebrate these holidays depends on where they live. Mi padre was born in the west part of Guatemala, and I was born in Guatemala City. The traditions we have for Dia de Muertos are different, but both are very rich and significant, focusing on family relationships and remembering ancestors.
To read the full article on Family Search, click here.