Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de los Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it is a national holiday, and all banks are closed. The celebration takes place on November 1 and 2, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased.
Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. The holiday has spread throughout the world: In Brazil, Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain, there are festivals and parades, and, at the end of the day, people gather at cemeteries and pray for their dead loved ones. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.
We really like to dress up, and what a great opportunity to dress up and learn about another culture at the same time. Also personally I like that in this tradition children are not afraid of the skulls, the dead, souls returning, ect. For the last 6years there has been a Dia de los Muertos festival in Lexington, KY and we traveled up with some friends to enjoy it. It was so much fun to do each others make up and take pics! There were Mayan and Aztec dancers/drummers, authentic Mexican food, ofrendas or alters built for the dead, fire dancers (a friend of mine), a candlelit walk to the cemetery where several tombs were decorated fully for this celebration of the dead. Honestly just a fabulous experience! This will definitely be a field trip we do again!
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