Koncepty mestizaje a lo mexicano a jejich souvislost s mexickým nacionalismem a svátkem Día de los Muertos

The Day of the Dead is a Mexican feast based on syncretism of Mezoamerican death rituals and Roman Catholic feasts of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days. This paper researches the infl uence and role of this feast in relation to the construction and negotiation of Mexican national identity, which is related to the concept of lo mexicano. The concept of lo mexicano is a product of nationalist efforts to create an image of Mexican nation and the essence of Mexican identity, which has been the object of various historical and political debates for a long time. It is also closely associated with the idea of death as a central symbol and specifi c feature of Mexican culture. Therefore, the Day of the Dead seems to be an important feast in sense of the image of what does it mean to be a Mexican. This image of the feast is more over supported by present Mexican nationalists by a nationalist state apparatus.