Ancient Customs in Today’s Mexico

BY AWAKE! WRITER IN MEXICO

EARLY religious customs and beliefs persist alongside the use of cell phones and the Internet in today’s Mexico. Over the centuries some customs of the Indians were mixed with Roman Catholicism. In fact, those customs still characterize the worship of Mexican Catholics.

Every year, for example, many people in Mexico go to cemeteries on November 2 to commemorate All Souls’ Day, also called the Day of the Dead. Flowers, food, and alcoholic beverages may be left there for deceased loved ones. Some even arrange for musical groups to play the songs their loved one enjoyed listening to. Many Catholics also build an altar in their home and may place a photograph of the dead loved one on it.

The Enciclopedia de México notes that certain practices in connection with the celebration of the dead seem “to preserve elements of the Indian ceremonies of the months ochpaniztli and teotleco, during which cempasúchil flowers and corn tamales were offered to the manes [souls of the dead] at a time of the year in which the harvest had just been gathered​—at the end of October and the beginning of November.” As the encyclopedia notes, some of the customs reflect similar festivities held during pre-Hispanic times, which included a certain carnivallike spirit.

Religious Veneration

December 12 is a holiday for Mexican Catholics. On that date thousands of pilgrims from other states in Mexico converge on the church of the Virgin of Guadalupe located on the side of Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City. Many walk for days, praying along the way to the Virgin. Upon arrival they customarily enter the church on their knees (above) and offer up roses.

Images of the Virgin of Guadalupe are also found today in homes and apartment buildings as well as in bus stations and other public areas. The Virgin of Guadalupe has been given the titles “Mother of God” and “Little Dark-Skinned One of Tepeyac.” Since the 16th century, believers have often attributed acts of healing and other miracles to her.

Roots of the Devotion

The veneration of the feminine divinity, as well as other features of this holiday, date back to the worship of the Aztec god-mother Cihuacóatl, also called Tonantzin, meaning “Our Little Mother.” The work México a  través de los siglos (Mexico Throughout the Centuries) says that this deity, as well as her son Huitzilopochtli, was brought by the early Aztecs to Tenochtitlán​—formerly the capital of the Aztec Empire, now Mexico City.

The temple to Cihuacóatl, located on Tepeyac Hill, was destroyed by the Spaniards. Here, according to tradition, less than 40 years after Columbus set foot on the continent, the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to a native Indian, Juan Diego. She reputedly asked that a sanctuary be built for her on the site.

Cihuacóatl was held in great veneration by the Aztecs. Reportedly, she had long, unbraided hair and wore a completely white dress. Her temple had an entrance so low that it was possible to enter only on one’s knees. Once inside, the worshipper would see her image surrounded by idols, making her appear to be “the mother . . . of the gods.”

The festival to Cihuacóatl included human sacrifices, dancing, and a parade of warriors decked out “with roses in their hands, around their necks, and on their heads.” These gifts were left at the top of the temple as offerings to Huitzilopochtli. Some Indians, including many from Guatemala, would walk over a thousand miles to the festival of Cihuacóatl.

Do Roots Matter?

The worship of the Catholic image of the Virgin of Guadalupe clearly has its roots in the rites of people who did not worship the true God of the Bible. (Psalm 83:18) Should this make any difference? Do the origins of a form of worship really matter?

The apostle Paul gave wise counsel in this regard, saying: “Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. . . . What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever?” Paul also said: “Make sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine.”​—2 Corinthians 6:14, 15; 1 Thessalonians 5:21.

Such encouragement is also appropriate today. We should reflect on our worship of God and ask ourselves: ‘Does my form of worship closely adhere to the teachings of God’s Word, the Bible? Or are aspects of it rooted in a form of worship carried on by those who serve false gods?’ A person who desires to please Jehovah, the true God, will wisely seek the answers to such questions.

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Pilgrims arriving at the church of the Virgin of Guadalupe

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Musicians at the graves on November 2