Day of the Dead

States. They have many holidays that we do not celebrate such as the Day of the Dead and Carnival. “Day of the Dead is a holiday celebrated in central and southern Mexico on November 1st and 2nd” (Day of the Dead). In these regions, “They believe that the gates of Heaven are opened at midnight on October 31st, and the spirits of all deceased children are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours” (Day of the Dead) The way that they celebrate this holiday is by decorating altars in…

all things scary? In Mexico, and in many other Latin American countries, this is the day to celebrate and honor the lives of loved ones who have passed. Dias de los Muertoes (Days of the Dead) is a two to three-day annual festival honoring the spirits of loved ones who have passed on. Although Dias de los Muertoes ceremonies are steeped in ritual and history, not all villages celebrate the festival on the same day. I spent a week in the Oaxaca, Mexico region to participate in the annual…

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…

The Mexican holiday of Dia de los Muertos (or Day of the Dead) and the American holiday of Halloween are two different holidays that often confuse people to be the same thing. One of the many differences is that Day of the Dead and Halloween are celebrated for two different periods of time. Another difference is that Halloween and Day of the Dead are celebrated for two totally different reasons. One final difference is that the two holidays use of skeletons are very different. So, despite the…

Every year the 1st and 2nd of November in Mexico is celebrated Dia de Muertos, a tradition that honors the life and memory of the those who had died and a great experience for those who wish to know more and involve themselves in a traditional Mexican celebration. In a touristic place as it is Mexico City there are many things a tourist can see and experience if he or she is in there at the time. People can go to the city’s downtown where many altars filled with food, cigars, alcohol, candies,…

The day of the dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico in the central and south regions with wearing wood masks and honoring deceased relatives. 2. Two 50-word short paragraphs about 2 different traditions: one of these traditions is honoring loved ones that passed away. People make this important because people tell stories about their family members. They also make food for the dead and decorate the dead’s gravesites. This whole holiday includes much of honoring the dead and…

Compare and Contrast: Day of the Dead and Halloween At the very end of October, countries around the world celebrate holidays such as El Dia de los Muertos and Halloween or traditions like them. While they have many differences depending on the customs from place to place they also have many similarities. El Dia de los Muertos, translated to “the Day of the Dead”, is a Mexican holiday that takes place from October 31st to November 2nd. It began about 3,000 years ago where rituals and…

A traditional ofrenda has three tiers that represent the three forms of death, “...the death of the body, the burial, and being forgotten by those left behind.” (Vigil, 2000, pg. 16). Dia de los Muertos makes an effort to offset the dead being forgotten by the living by having the holiday celebrated every year. The latin phrase “Memento Mori” reminds, “...one of mortality and impending death,” (Nozedar, 2016, pg. 237) and perfectly encompasses a major theme in Dia de los Muertos…

When people think of Halloween, some view as a holiday of fun. Its purpose in the United States is viewed as a holiday for children and adults alike, since children get free candy from trick or treating, while adults go out partying while dressed in costumes. However, Halloween’s actual purpose was more of a holiday or festival in the Celtic religion called Samhain, the holiday was to mark the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. As time passed, Halloween went from festivals…

More specifically, historians trace the day to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, Queen of Mictlan, the underworld. Dia de Los Muertos At Hollywood Forever - ClapwayPhoto Courtesy of ladayofthedead.com The celebration takes place on October 31st, November 1st and November 2nd, in connection with the triduum of Allhallowtide, which includes All Hallows’ Eve, Hallowmas, and All Souls’ Day. Traditions typically linked to the three days include building private altars,…