Dia De Los Muertos Essay

Not A Mexican Halloween Halloween is a tradition everyone knows about, whether they celebrate it or not. Another celebration that people seem to know about is Dia de los Muertos, but about a majority of those people consider this holiday a “Mexican Halloween” when in reality it is anything but Halloween. Dia de los Muertos is a special occasion that celebrates death through many traditions and is significant since it also remembers the death of loved ones. Dia de los Muertos’ history originates almost 3,000 years back, this occasion can be celebrated in many ways, and is very important to those who celebrate it. Dia de los Muertos is a ritual that can be traced back to the time of the Aztecs. The indigenous people mainly celebrated because they embraced death rather than cower from it. It is also used to celebrate and remember the deaths of loved ones. Skulls are an important aspect to this tradition since it symbolizes death and rebirth. Indigenous people brought them out to honor the dead and believed the dead would come back to celebrate with them. Before the Spaniards came for conquest, the celebration lasted about a month. When they arrived, they tried to remove the ritual from existence and when the Spaniards realized they couldn’t, they instead moved the …show more content…
On November 1, the deaths of loved ones are remembered. Their favorite foods and drinks are placed on their graves or on an altar that’s made at home. People come together to say prayers and celebrate death. On November 2, marigolds are placed on either graves or altars to guide the dead back home to celebrate with their family and friends and candles are lit to illuminate the souls from darkness. There are also parades that celebrate Dia de los Muertos and give out traditional pan de muerto, bread of the dead, or sugar skulls for anyone to enjoy. People celebrate this day differently but, overall, they are still able to unite and celebrate