El dia de los muertos

The Day of the DeadOctober 31st – November 2nd

Que es el dia de los muertos?What is The Day of the Dead?

On November 1st and 2nd, El Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead is celebrated in Mexico, and other Latin countries. This is a very special ritual, since it is the day in which the living remember their departed relatives. Sometimes, when people of other cultures hear for the first time about the celebration of the Day of the Dead, they mistakenly think it must be: gruesome, terrifying, scary, ugly and sad. Nothing is further from the truth! Day of the Dead is a beautiful ritual in which Mexicans happily and lovingly remember their loved relatives that have died. It is a way to honor the dead, much like when we go to a graveyard to leave some lovely flowers on a tomb of a relative.

la celebracion• To begin the celebration,

a parade runs through the town. People dress as happy, funny skeletons and then march to the cemetery.

At the cemetery, people decorate the graves of their loved ones in order to honor

them.

After they leave the cemetery, the celebration continues in peoples’ homes

with their own ofrendas placed on an altar they created. They feast on Pan de Muertos,

fruits, and sugar skulls.

What do Mexicans do to celebrate?

In order to celebrate, the families make altars and place ofrendas (offerings) of food such as pan de muertos (“Bread of the Dead” which is baked in shapes of skulls and figures), candles, incense, yellow marigolds known as cempazuchitl and, most importantly, a photo of the departed soul is placed on the altar.

How are Monarchs related to

el dia de los muertos? Every autumn Monarch Butterflies, which have summered up north in the United States and Canada, return to Mexico for the winter protection of the oyamel fir trees. The locale inhabitants welcome back the returning butterflies, which they believe bear the spirits of their departed. The spirits are honored during Los Dias de los Muertos

Las Calaveras• The calavera, or skeleton, is an

important symbol during dia de muertos. Calaveras decorate the inside of shops and shop windows engaged in every daily activity imaginable dressed as judges, soldiers, housewives, soccer players, doctors, etc. Death, and the skeleton as Death, is seen in a much different way by the Mexicans than by most Westerners. It is seen in a mocking, cheerful light. A symbol that can be as light-hearted as it is serious, it appears countless times in countless ways during dia de muertos as wood, paper mache, sugar, plastic, etc

Sugar Skull Folk Art Skull