In the pre -Hispanic era, The Mexicans associated the color of this flower with the sun, In addition to believing that their smell attracted the dead, so it was placed in offerings dedicated to these.
Being a symbol of life and death, tradition is to place trails with the cempasúchil petals, From the main entrance to the altar of the house, in order to guide souls towards the altars.
Meet the Mexican legend behind the cempasúchil flower.Sergio Mendoza Hochmann / Getty Images.
What is the Mexican legend around the cempasúchil flower?
According to legend, Xóchitl and Huitzilin They fell in love when they were children, and used to climb the mountain dedicated to Tonatiuh, the Aztec del Sol to offer you bouquets.
However, Huitzilin went to fight war To defend the Aztec lands and died. Therefore, Xóchitl asked God Tonatiuh to brought her with her beloved.
The Sun God He dropped his rays on Xóchitl, And she became a yellow flower, in which a hummingbird posed and it opened its 20 petals, releasing an intense aroma.
Thus, it is said that The love of the Aztec couple will remain while there are hummingbirds and flowers of Cempasúchil in the Mexican fields. Therefore, the flower of Cempasúchil is part of the popular culture and the celebration of the Day of the Dead.