What are the things in the film "Coco" that are unique to Mexico?

"Coco" was created by Pixar Animation in the United States, but the authentic Mexican elements in the film have won praises from Mexicans. Many Mexican viewers admitted that this is the cartoon that best showcases traditional Mexican culture they have ever seen. So, what is it about this film that is unique to Mexico? ?

Day of the Dead altar (picture from the Internet)

Restore the Mexican Day of the Dead

A bridge built with marigold petals, piers made of American pyramids, and suspension Colorful paper-cuts...Mexican elements are everywhere in the film. "At this time of year, our ancestors would return to this world to 'visit' their families and friends." This sentence in the movie first pointed out the legend of the Mexican Day of the Dead.

The Day of the Dead is the product of the combination of Indian culture and Western culture. The native Indians believe that only by treating the souls of the dead well and letting them go home happily for the festival, the living people will be blessed by the souls of the dead in the coming year, be free from disease and disaster, and have a bumper harvest. After the Spanish colonists came to the American continent, they combined the Western All Saints' Day, the indigenous Day of the Dead, and some indigenous funeral and sacrificial customs to create today's Day of the Dead. Today, the Day of the Dead, which takes place on November 1st and 2nd every year, has become an important festival in Mexico.

People put on undead makeup on the Day of the Dead (pictures from the Internet)

The altar in the actor Miguel’s home to enshrine photos of his ancestors is a must-have for all Mexican families during the Day of the Dead. In the film, only the deceased whose photos are enshrined by their loved ones can return to the world of the living, only the unforgotten souls can continue to exist, and the bridge paved with marigold petals leads the deceased to return home for a reunion, etc. are cleverly restored and processed. Mexican Day of the Dead traditions.

The Day of the Dead is regarded by Mexicans as a day for the whole family to reunite, not only with their living relatives, but also with those who have passed away to the other world. People will go to the cemetery or place tributes on the altar at home, light candles, pray for the dead, and talk to the dead. Some people will also place things that their deceased loved ones used, favorite food, clothes, etc. on the altar at home, and then sprinkle orange marigold petals on the passage from the door to the altar to attract the souls of the deceased. Return.

The parallel world of life and death

The colorful paper-cuts that appear many times in the film are also eye-catching. Chinese paper-cutting is mostly done with scissors, which is exquisite; in Mexico, paper-cutting in the traditional sense is mostly done with chisels, and 40 to 50 pieces of the same paper-cutting can be completed at one time. Colorful paper-cuts are not only decorations for Mexico's Day of the Dead, but are also seen as a medium of connection between the living and the dead. Legend has it that whenever the paper-cuts are blown by the wind, it means that the dead are passing by, although people in this world cannot see it. Undead.

Mexican paper-cutting (picture from the Internet)

The undead makeup that Miguel painted after coming to the world of the dead is also something that many Mexicans do during the Day of the Dead. Many men, women, and children wear undead makeup and participate in parties and parades to represent the return of the dead. Unlike the imagined memory of ancestors, Mexicans will fill this holiday with singing, dancing, food, and parties. The indigenous people of Mexico believe that death is both the end of life and the beginning of new life, so they celebrate the Day of the Dead solemnly. In Mexico, children like Miguel know the Day of the Dead tradition from an early age. The "Civic Knowledge" textbook for Mexican primary school students also lists "Day of the Dead" as one of Mexico's most important traditions.

Octavio Paz, the famous Mexican writer and Nobel Prize winner for literature, said that death shows the highest meaning of life. Death is the opposite and complement of life. This has not only become a cultural phenomenon with Mexican national characteristics, but also reflects the values ??and philosophical concepts of the Mexicans.

Fictional city, surrounding culture

Although Santa Cecilia and the World of the Dead, where Miguel lives in the film, are fictional, they are very characteristic of Mexican towns and are very important to the Mexican town. The square in the center of the town gathers nearby residents, and the Mariachi band, which is essential for festival celebrations, is very impressive.

Mariachi Band (picture from the Internet)

It is said that the Mariachi Band originated in Jalisco, Mexico in the 19th century. It was originally used for weddings and other ceremonies. To enhance the atmosphere, it was later extended to all celebrations. Today, these folk performers wearing Mexican wide-brimmed pointed straw hats and the Mexican national costume "charu" are active in the streets of Mexico. When eating in open-air restaurants, you will also encounter sporadic performers to entertain diners who want to listen to music. There is also a "Mariachi Plaza" in Mexico City, where mariachi bands from all over Mexico practice and look for potential customers to bring gifts to the celebrations.

Let’s talk about the magical animals in the world of the undead in the film. They seem to be wild and imaginative, but they actually have a lot of origins. Its prototype is a Mexican folk handicraft called "Alebrich" in the Oaxaca region of Mexico. These handicrafts are mainly in the shape of animals, with colorful patterns and imaginative shapes, such as tigers with wings and strange horns, strange birds with lion heads, etc.

Alebrich Art Exhibition (pictures from the Internet)

Legend has it that in the 1930s, a Mexican art craftsman had a high fever and saw all kinds of strange mythical beasts in his dream. After he recovered, he made all the mythical beasts in his dreams based on his impressions and called them "Alebrich". In 1975, British filmmaker Judith Bronofsky shot a documentary to introduce Alebrich, and this unique Mexican handicraft began to gradually enter the public eye.

In Oaxaca, the birthplace, many villagers make a living by making alebrich wood carvings. Young craftsmen cut the wood, older craftsmen carefully carve it, and women and children paint it. In addition to seeing Alebrich in Mexican handicraft stores, Mexico also holds some related competitions and exhibitions every year, allowing folk artists and ordinary people to participate in making Alebrich works, and then display them on festivals such as the Day of the Dead. . Every year around the Day of the Dead, all kinds of strange Alebrich artworks, as tall as a person, are displayed along the Avenida Reforma, the main thoroughfare in Mexico City.

The image of Frida in the film (pictures from the Internet)

The film also features Frida Kahlo, a household name in Mexico. Frida Frida, a famous Mexican female painter with a unibrow, is famous for her self-portraits and is one of the most famous artists in Latin America. Her husband, Rivera, the famous Mexican muralist, is printed on Mexico's 500-peso banknote, and she herself is one of the celebrities who most frequently represents Mexico.