Day of the Dead

Día de los muertos

* Day of the Dead is a Mexican tradition that blends Catholic rituals with the pre-Hispanic belief that the dead return once a year from the underworld.

* Now observed by Catholic communities around the world, thousands of people celebrate the festival reuniting the living with the dead on November 1 and 2.

•The November 2 "Dia de Muertos," or All Souls' Day interweaves Spanish influences with indigenous ancestor worship in Latin America, especially in Mexico, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, which have large indigenous populations.

* In Mexico, people build Day of the Dead Altars in their homes & in the cemetaries. Burning incense and candles they adorn the displays with candy skulls, marigolds, chocolate coffins, papier-mache skeletons and photographs of the deceased. They also offer up their dead relative's favorite food and remember their vices, such as cakes, tequila and cigarettes, to entice them to return. Marigolds are known as the "flower of the dead." Their scent is believed to attract the souls and draw them back.

• Altars are set up on the two days leading up to Dia de los Muertos. Altars contain "offerings" for the dead, known as ofrendas. These include items such as:

• candles• fresh flowers or flowers petals (usually

marigolds)• photographs of the deceased, along

with other memorabilia• favorite foods & drinks of the

deceased• incense• water• sugar skulls• Pan de muerto (bread of the dead)

• statues of saints

Embracing Death for Day of the DeadThe indigenous people, pre-Hispanic people, viewed death as the continuation of life. The pre-Hispanic people embrace death; thus, they idealized it thinking that’s when they would be truly awake.  Moreover, death was embraced, not feared. For example, they did not separate death from pain, wealth from poverty like the Western cultures have done.

The Day of the Dead is a celebration of loved ones who have already died.  It has evolved from a ritual that the Aztecs started, who weren’t afraid of death.  Thus, the holiday involves some props that have death-related meanings.  Skulls are the most conspicuous decoration that honors the dead.

Using Skulls for Dia de Los Muertos:The Aztecs and many other Meso-American civilizations kept skulls, which symbolize death and rebirth, displayed them for others to observe.  The skulls were utilized to honor the dead, whom were thought would come back to visit the Day of the Dead ritual. The sugar skulls, which are made in many sizes and colors are displayed over the Day of the Dead holiday as a symbolic nod to the traditional past.

¡Feliz día de los muertos!