Cempasúchil: Keeping Tradition With Color and Aroma 

Cempasúchil (also spelled cempazúchil) comes from the Nahuatl “cempōhualxōchitl,” literally meaning “twenty flower.” The twenty referring to the Aztec calendar’s twenty-day week cycle, making the term “twenty flower” a metaphor for flowers used in weekly ceremonies and festivities.  

Aside from its binomial name, Tagetes erecta, cempasúchil is also known as the Mexican marigold and Aztec marigold. In the days before contact with the Spanish, the cempasúchil flower was also called “miccāxōchitl,” literally “flower of the dead.” Today, it is still known and referred to as “flor de muerto” (flower of the dead). 

As Mexicans, this flower connects us to our ancestors. Its sight, smell, and name evokes thousand year old traditions and customs. As the photos above demonstrate, the spirit of our ancestors is alive and well in our marketplaces, altars, and smiles. 

Photo: Getty/Notimex

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