Lecture: The Mexican concept of Death

For Mesoamericans, due to their mantic social structure, rank and form of death determined their destiny in the afterlife. Christianity is monotheist in reverence of The Almighty, who can resurrect, give and take life. After death, the souls waited to be either rewarded or punished in the afterlife. Opposite to earlier beliefs, there were only two places to go: heaven or hell. This is a brief overview of how "Day of the Dead" has evolved as a result of three millenniums of multi-cultural syncretism, and has become an authentic expression of family ties and cultural heritage. Most view it as a unique Mexican tradition and expression of national identity, whether they live outside Oaxaca or in the suburbs of Chicago or Chihuahua.