Meet The Man Keeping A Rare Day Of The Dead Bone Cleaning Tradition Alive | Still Standing

In the days leading up to Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, families in Pomuch, Mexico, take their deceased relatives' skeletons out of their tombs for their annual cleaning. The ritual is said to originate with the Mayans, and today, only Catholics here practice it. The pandemic has kept people away from the cemetery for the past two years, and younger generations are unlikely to carry on the tradition for much longer.

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Meet The Man Keeping A Rare Day Of The Dead Bone Cleaning Tradition Alive | Still Standing

[Bringthewinter]

Considering that morticians clean up dead bodies to make them presentable in a respectable manner, I see this as no different in giving loved ones the same care and courtesy, just in skeletal form.

[zackscotty]

I have a very deep respect for this man. Even in death keeping his loved ones clean and cared for.

[lady_magnoliauwu]

Mexican here, I recognized the Yucatecan accent and went to ask my grandmother if they did that here. It turned out that yes and I had never found out about it (for context, in Mexico usually traditions and culture are generally practiced only in the villages, but where I am from, Merida, culture is still preserved and practiced ), and Jose, the man who helps me grandmother with the cleaning (he is Mayan) listened to us and told me that his family does it every October and that it is an ancient Mayan custom, although it is no longer widespread.

[Gutterrat]

I think Don Pichu is absolutely wonderfull, the love, care and respect he has for these loved ones is so important and for me, inspiring ❤️

[THBNYRD]

Maybe it’s because my kids and I watched Coco recently too - but it’s fascinating how the Mexican culture sees death. I’d be like “ew bones omg” even if it’s a parent or whatever. It’s very interesting to see how they can handle it all so easily. It’s a beautiful culture and a heartwarming thing to see.

[piplup]

I love traditions like these. My dad is afraid to go to the cemeteries but for me I find it a wonderful place because it's a place where loved ones can visit friends or family that they shared a connection too and there is something special about a place full of vastly different lives that were lived. I got to visit my grandmothers a few years ago and it was heartwarming to see it cause when she passed I was too little to understand it and I got to remember all the times we had together years later so it's special to me.

[marianamayer]

I'm Mexican. The beauty of the día de muertos Is that we have different traditions in each state or town. In Ocotepec, Morelos, they open their houses so that everyone can see their altar, they give you bread in the shape of a person and atole (in each house), while in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán they gather in the cemetery, decorate the grave and sing.

[rileyaroha]

That's actually truely beautiful. Weird at first glace sure, but what a beautiful way to honour someone who has past.

[maryfreebed]

At first I was a little confused by the way he was cleaning bones just by going over them lightly with a little brush, but when he said that he didn't want the lid to weigh on the head of the person, that made sense. You wouldn't clean your grandma by violently scrubbing them with steel wool, or in boiling water or enzymatic bleach, and therefore you wouldn't do it to her bones if she were still in them, either.

[LaviniaDeMortalium]

Its sad people are turning away from this tradition due to religious change. What I wouldn't give to able to see my granfather again - regardless if they are just bones to me these days. If anything they would be more precious. I miss him, even 20 years later, and I wish I could still have a part of him around.

[anthonyitza]

anyone saw the roch ran away when he was picking up the scull in 1:03

[TypeO]

Imagine just easy cleaning the corps of your neighbor which has lived near to your street.
Damn, that man got balls.

[alisonm]

Very interesting and humbling. We're all going to be just bones someday.

[anatwiiwt]

It is really nice to see how he cares about tradition, it is a beautiful ritual.

[theowlfromduolingo]

It’s definitely a way to not forget your loved ones. And that’s a good thing

[starcherry]

I admire the amount of respect given to the dead.
It's a shame how our bodies are forgotten about after we die. Even to the ones closest to us!

[giuseppele]

Even in southern Italy, in particular in Naples until a few decades ago there was the cult of the "pezzentelle souls", or souls of poor people who were believed to be in Purgatory. People adopted a skull by choosing it from the many that were found in the catacombs of the city, cleaning it and praying for the soul of the deceased in exchange for graces. I suppose this similarity between Mexico and southern Italy is due to the Spanish domination.

[josephh]

Much respect amigo! May the gods repay you and your loved ones 1000 fold.

[victoriasmith]

Seriously...what an amazing tradition.. this is all done out of his good efforts and deeds too, can you believe that? Very good person.

[reality]

It's a shame how modernising a community is making people turn away from such beautiful and interesting traditions. Mordern ideas aren't about leaving traditions it's about upgrading your mind so that you can accept all the people surrounding you as they are and reforming your mind to the right ideals. If people think that leaving traditions high and dry and letting them go extinct is mordern I don't know what is gonna happen in the future.