Where: Campeche, Mexico
People: Mayan descendants
Religion: Animism and Catholicism
Ritual: Choo Ba’ak
Mauro Antonio Canul Ucan is cleaning the bones of one of his ancestors, Antonio Canul Euan, who died 40 years ago.
In the cemeteries of a few small Mayan towns in Mexico, Mayan families annually honour their ancestors
by cleaning their bones and skulls as a part of the Day of the Dead celebrations. After cleaning the bones, the ancestors are put on display in wooden in small open mausoleums.
This pre-hispanic Maya practice is said to help deal with the pain of death, and the deceased are part of a social structure that keep the families together. It is also believed that relatives that are not taken properly care of can become angry ghosts.
