![]() Mexico City is a great place to come together with others to honor the dead with events like the Mexico Day of the Dead Parade, the Catrinas Parade, the Alebrijes Parade, and many more. These festivities are not just in Mexico, but also other parts of the world like the United States. Nowadays, there are also a multitude of parades and festivals where one can celebrate Día de los Muertos with others. Families bring a huge feast to eat while they clean tombstones, sing songs, and talk to their ancestors.” Along with singing, there is usually a lot of dancing that takes place. For example, communities and families will often head “to the graveyard for a big party. ![]() Of course, there are many other traditions that are a core part of Día de los Muertos. This is one of the things that makes Día de los Muertos so special, and altars are a great traditional way of partaking in this holiday from wherever you reside. Whether you want to add special touches with salt or favorite beverages, or create different styles like a marigold path leading up to the altar, there are infinite possibilities regarding how to welcome home the departed beloved. There are so many different ways to build and personalize Día de los Muertos altars so that they’re the best suited for the loved ones you are honoring. Every single item holds a special symbolic significance. Other staple altar items include skulls (usually made of sugar), papel picado (colorful, intricately cut paper), and pan de muerto (a type of pan dulce or sweet bread). Families may also use marigolds to create a petal path to the altar, a way of guiding the dead as the candles are. With their bright orange color and strong “musky smell”, marigolds are strewn all over altars. Along with these candles are marigolds (the flor de muertos). There’s the aforementioned candles that light the way home for the dead. With these personalized characteristics of the altar, there are a few universal items that every ofrenda should have. One can also often see an array of sentimental items-such as jewelry or books-that the dead had a special connection to. In addition, altars usually have pictures of the deceased loved one. Altars also include many food items and pastries, usually ones that were favorites of the departed family member. The candles provide light that guide deceased loved ones home from the realm of the afterlife. These altars are built at home and must be filled with candles. One traditional way of doing this is building ofrendas. Starting at midnight on November 1st, it’s believed that the gates of the afterlife open to allow deceased loved ones temporary passage to the tangible world where they can reunite with their living family members.ĭía de los Muertos is centered around remembering and connecting with these departed loved ones. On this day, all adults who have departed are honored. Meanwhile, November 2nd is known as All Souls’ Day. It’s “a festival whose origins are deeply rooted in Aztec beliefs and tied to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, also known as the ‘Lady of the Dead.” November 1st is known as All Saints’ Day, which focuses on and honors children who have passed away. With origins going back thousands of years, Día de los Muertos is primarily celebrated in Mexico on November 1st and 2nd. One of the most important things to understand is that, despite their proximity and slightly similar traditions like costumes, Halloween and Día de los Muertos are not connected. We can also observe the traditions of Día de los Muertos and think of ways that each of us can respectfully celebrate this holiday and its significance wherever we are. Together, we can take a look at the history of Día de los Muertos and how this holiday came to fruition. With the buzz of Halloween and the holidays, it’s important to take time to honor Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).
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