Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) celebrated between October 31st & November 2nd, is a celebration in wich Mexicans remember and honor their deceased loved ones. Though it may sound gloomy or morbid, it’s not. It’s a festive and colorful holiday. Mexicans visit cemeteries, decorate the graves and spend time there-in presence of their deceased friends & family members. They also make elaborately decorated altars in their homes to welcome spirits.
Day of the Dead Altars:
The spirits are greeted with offerings of food and things they enjoyed in life.These are layed out on the Day of the Dead altar in the family home. Its believed that the spirits consume the essence and the aroma of the foods that are offered. When the spirits depart, the living consume the food and share it with family, friends & neighboors. Other items that are placed on the altar include sugar skulls,often with person’s name inscribed on top, pan de muertos, a special bread that is made especially for the season & cempasuchil (marigolds) wich bloom at this time of the year and lend a special fragrance to the altar
Origins of Day of the Dead
In Prehispanic times the dead were buried close to family homes (sometimes underneath 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 Saints’ Day practices were incorporated into Prehispanic beliefs and customs and Day of the Dead came to be celebrated.
The belief behind day of the Dead practices is that spirits return to the Earth for one day of the year to be with their families. It is said that the spirits of babies and children who have died (called angelitos, little angels) arrive on oct 31st at midnight, spend an entire day with their families and then leave. Adults come the following day.