Masks and Celebrations in Mexico

Cultures all over the world integrate masked processions with celebrations that mark religious occasions, seasonal changes, historical events and spontaneous revelry. We frequently look at masks as being singular objects. While they can be powerful works of art in their own right, they function in concert with many other elements. It is important to realize that masks are part of a whole costume and that the wearer, who is often dancing, moves to music that evokes the themes of a particular celebration.


The act of masking embodies the concept of transformation. Obscuring the face and replacing it with another identity has a profound impact.

"Pre-Hispanic peoples believed that the face was connected to the soul.
(In the Nahuatl language of the central highlands of Mexico, 'ixtli in yollotl' signified a spiritual process in which heart and face combined.) This allowed the heart to shine through the face so that one's features became true reflections of the self. Covering the face with a mask was not considered a mere disguise but a temporary removal of the self; the wearer was transported from the world of the ordinary to a realm that was normally out of reach."

This quote from El Museo Hispanico in San Francisco beautifully describes the function of masking in Mexico and highlights the way that making celebrations evoke another time and place. Ordinary time is restructured to allow for the extraordinary to predominate.

In Mexico the tradition of mask making and mask wearing is interwoven with particular celebrations as an integral part of feasting, dancing and rigorous preparation for community festivities. Mask ceremonials in Mexico have evolved in a manner that synthesizes Pre-Christian and Catholic beliefs. Festivals are integral to Mexican life, punctuating the cycle of the year with special events. Festivities occur in saints' days, Christmas, New Year's, Catholic Holidays, Candlemas, Carnival», Holy Week and for the Day of the Dead». Observing seasonal changes, such as the inception of planting and the rainy season are often celebrated in conjunction with religious holidays.

Motivations for dance festivals are various and include fulfillment of religious promises, invocation of supernatural aid for the community, thanks for a good harvest and devotion to a particular saint. A family or couple within the Community will take on the responsibility for sponsoring a particular dance. This is a huge commitment to the community, requiring a considerable expenditure of time, money and energy. A family that is a festival sponsor garners respect and status.