Dia De Los Muertos

¶ … Spanish holiday Dia de los Muertos. Specifically it will discuss countries that celebrate the holiday, how it is celebrated, traditions, and any other pertinent information. Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is an ancient Aztec traditional celebration that has taken place for thousands of years. They were already celebrating the holiday when the Spanish Conquistadors conquered the country. The Spanish did not approve of the holiday and tried to stop it, but it continues even today throughout Mexico, some other areas in Central America, and much of the United States. The Spanish did end up moving the holiday. Initially, Mexicans celebrated it in August, and it lasted an entire month. The Spanish moved it to October 31 to coincide with Catholic holidays on November 1 and 2. It is a holiday to celebrate those friends and family who have passed away, a kind of celebration of the dead. Mexicans believe their ancestors come to visit with them on October 31, and go back to heaven on November 2 (Miller).

The holiday is celebrated from October 31 through November 2. There are many traditions that surround the holiday, including specific foods, the making of altars, and other rituals. A reporter notes, "Today, people don wooden skull masks called calacas and dance in honor of their deceased relatives. The wooden skulls are also placed on altars that are dedicated to the dead" (Miller). In many areas, especially rural areas of Mexico, families spend the day in the cemetery, remembering their loved ones and eating their relatives' favorite foods in their honor. They also dance and sing songs for their missing relatives. Along with that, they bring tools to maintain the graves of their ancestors. They weed the graves and rake them to tidy them, and then they sit on blankets and have a picnic. Another writer notes, "The Aztecs believed in an afterlife where the spirits of their dead would return as hummingbirds and butterflies. Even images carved in the ancient Aztec monuments show this belief - the linking the spirits of the dead and the Monarch butterfly" (Editors). They believe that death is not the end of life, but only another step in life's journey, which is why they celebrate this holiday, and why it is so important in the country.

Along with celebrations in the cemeteries, streets are often decorated with flowers, candy skeletons and skulls, and there are often parades. Marigolds are the traditional flowers placed in the cemeteries and on the streets, and people put candles, incense, and pictures of their loved ones on the altars. They also bake pan de muertos, or "bread of the dead," another ritual that honors their loved ones. Skeletons and skulls are everywhere during the celebration, and during the parades, people dress up as skeletons or ghouls, and carry a coffin throughout the town, with a "corpse" inside. People throw candies, oranges, and other things into the coffin for the corpse as it passes by. The children get candies in the shapes of skeletons and skulls. They also participate in the ceremonies. Another author writes, "Calaveras (skulls) are decorated with bright colors with the name of the departed inscribed on the head. Children carrying yellow marigolds enjoy the processions to the cemetery. At the cemetery, music is played and dances are made to honor the spirits" (Hernandez). All of these traditions are handed down from parents to children, just as they have been for thousands of years.