Festivals: Day of the dead

The day of the dead

Day of the Dead (known as Día de los Muertos in Spanish) is celebrated in Mexico between October 31st and November 2nd. On this holiday, Mexicans remember and honor their deceased loved ones. It's not a gloomy or morbid occasion, rather it is a festive and colorful holiday celebrating the lives of those who have passed on. Mexicans visit cemeteries, decorate the graves and spend time there, in the presence of their deceased friends and family members.

They also make elaborately decorated altars (called ofrendas) in their homes to welcome the spirits.

The belief behind Day of the Dead practices is that spirits return to the World of the living for one day of the year to be with their families.

In some communities, it is customary to spend the whole night in the cemetery, and people make a party of it, having a picnic supper, playing music, talking and drinking through the night.

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Merging of Cultures

In Pre-Hispanic times, the dead were buried close to family homes (often in a tomb underneath the central patio of the house) and there was great emphasis on maintaining ties with deceased ancestors, who were believed to continue to exist on a different plane. With the arrival of the Spaniards and Catholicism, All Souls' and All Saints' Day practices were incorporated into Pre-Hispanic beliefs and customs and the holiday came to be celebrated as we know it today.

The spirits are greeted with offerings of special foods and things that they enjoyed when they were alive.

These are laid out on an altar in the family home. It is believed that the spirits consume the essence and the aroma of the foods that are offered. When the spirits depart, the living consumes the food and share it with their family, friends, and neighbors.

Other items that are placed on the altar include sugar skulls, often with the person's name inscribed on the top, pan de Muertos, a special bread that is made especially for the season, and cempasuchil (marigolds) which bloom at this time of year and lend a special fragrance to the altar.