Tamales nejos y galletas chatos: la ofrenda de maíz nuevo para la fiesta del Día de los Muertos entre los nahuas de La Montaña, Guerrero
Tamales Nejos and Galletas Chatos: the Offering of the New Corn on the Day of the Dead among the Nahuas of The Montaña, Guerrero]

Summary/Abstract: The feast of Día de Muertos in the indigenous communities of Mexico celebrates the temporary return to the earth of the deceased family members. Every year at the end of the month of October and, in particular, on the days of 31th of October, and 1st and 2nd of November the indigenous peoples of the region Montaña de Guerrero organize rites and celebrations for their own dead. However, that period also represents the end of the annual cycle of corn and the time of the harvest. This article focuses on some of the offerings of food based on the new corn, prepared by the Nahuas of the Montaña. Special techniques of cooking are used for ritual food like tamales nejos and galletas chatos, prepared with the new corn. The Nahuas ritually elaborate food like tamales nejos in order to offer these to the deceased who come back home as a form of a gift. The agriculture cycle for the Nahuas of Guerrero is closely linked to the cycle of festivals. The processing of ingredients and the special cooking techniques are related to the beliefs in the dead, the cultivation of maize, and the regeneration of life.

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