The Day of the Dead
As you know, Mexicans make up one of the largest populations in the United States. This is why we see día de los muertos celebrations throughout the country. The parades get larger every year, and the colorful makeup and clothes make this festivity a perfect ending to Halloween week. How did this important tradition begin?
Click through the slideshow, below, to learn more about this celebration!
El día de los muertos has been celebrated for around 500 years. Indigenous groups, including the Aztecs, Mayas, and Toltecs, started this celebration before the Spaniards conquered Mexico.
Today, The Day of the Dead (as it is called in English) is celebrated in Mexico, other Latin American countries, and in the U.S. El día de los muertos occurs every year on November 1st and 2nd. November 1st is All Saints’ Day, and November 2nd is All Souls’ Day. This holiday should not be confused with the American holiday Halloween. These are two completely different celebrations.
El día de los muertos is a day to honor the loved ones who have passed on and is considered a joyful celebration of life. Preparations for this holiday begin in mid-October. November 1st celebrates the children, and November 2nd celebrates the adults.
Prior to November 1st, markets sell popular items used in the celebrations, such as flowers, candles, sugar skulls, pan de muerto (bread of the dead), floral wreaths, crosses, candy skeletons, chocolate, and decorative figurines.
The festivities also include parades and music for two days. People wear fancy clothes, dress up as skeletons, or wear skull masks. Women often wear colorful dresses and flower headpieces.
People also celebrate The Day of the Dead People by setting up altars with ofrendas in their homes. The altars are decorated with photographs of their deceased friends and family, lit candles, papel picado, sugar skulls, flowers, and the favorite foods of the departed. Candy and toys will be placed on the altar for the children who have passed. Calacas, or skeletons, are commonly added to altars as well. They’re often posed to depict the everyday activities of the dead person’s profession or interests. The altars show the spirits that they have not been forgotten.
In order to guide the spirits to the altars, loved ones place cempasúchiles, or marigolds, on the altars or along a path to the home. This tradition is based on a legend. One day, a leader of the Aztec empire asked the gods to show the people that their loved ones are still with them in the afterlife. The next day, thousands of marigolds appeared.
The Day of the Dead is a day of remembrance, love, and joy that ultimately celebrates life.
