The History and Meaning of the Day of the Dead
Introduction
The Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and by Mexican-Americans living in the United States. The holiday involves gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration takes place on November 1st and 2nd, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2). 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. The celebration occurs on November 1st – 2nd, in connection with All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2), though some people extend this celebration to a month long festival.
These days are also recognized as a national holiday in Mexico. The history behind these days is fascinating. It began more than 3,000 years ago when people called Aztecs who lived in what is now central Mexico ruled an empire that was quite large for its time. They believed that their god, Mictlantecuhtli, ruled over M
The term “Day of the Dead” is an English translation of the name given to a popular Mexican celebration. In Mexico, this holiday is known as “Día de los Muertos.” Its origins can be traced back to indigenous cultures of Mexico. Today it is celebrated on November 1 and 2 to coincide with the Catholic holidays All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2).
The Day of the Dead was once celebrated over an extended period of time, beginning in late summer and lasting through early winter. This was because most ancient cultures recognized that the harvest occurred at this time, when life was abundant. The three-month period was therefore viewed as a natural time for honoring ancestors and preparing for the coming winter.
In Pre-Columbian times, indigenous people believed that death did not mark the end of life but rather a continuation of it. They held rituals to honor deceased loved ones so that they might lead their afterlives peacefully. They also believed that these rituals would allow them to reunite with their loved ones during those days in which death did not exist.
The Day of the Dead, also known as Día de los Muertos, is celebrated in Mexico and by Mexican Americans in the United States. The Day of the Dead is a holiday to celebrate the lives of those who have passed away, and it is celebrated on Nov. 1 and 2.
The Day of the Dead celebration started 3,000 years ago with the Aztecs. They believed that the boundary between life and death was fragile; on this day, they believed that they could communicate with the dead. After Spain conquered Mexico in 1521, they attempted to convert Mexicans to Catholicism and blended Catholic beliefs with traditional Aztec rites.
The Day of the Dead is celebrated by building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and their favorite foods and beverages. They also leave possessions of their loved ones at grave sites. Many families will also visit their loved ones’ graves throughout November and bring these as gifts.
In modern-day Mexico City, people gather in cemeteries to hear mariachi bands play music. The streets are filled with parades decorated with flowers and candles to honor those who have died.
The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is a traditional Mexican holiday in which friends and family gather to pray for and remember those who have passed. In other words, it is a day when Mexicans honor the dead and celebrate their everlasting love. It is believed that the souls of the deceased return to earth on this day, so many people set up altars in their homes with pictures of departed loved ones. On these altars are offerings such as brown sugar skulls (calaveras de azúcar), orange marigolds (cempasúchil), special breads called pan de muerto, and favorite foods and beverages of the deceased.
The Day of the Dead began 3,000 years ago with the Aztecs, who had a month-long celebration in honor of the goddess Mictecacihuatl, Queen of Mictlan (the underworld). Today’s holiday begins at midnight on October 31 and ends at midnight on November 2. The first day honors children who have died, while adult spirits visit on the second day.
In Mexico City there is a major parade that takes place annually on November 2nd along Paseo de la Reforma. Many people dress as skeletons, wear masks, or don
The Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and by people of Mexican heritage elsewhere. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and helping support their spiritual journey. In 2008, the tradition was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.[1]
The holiday is sometimes called Día de los Muertos in Anglophone countries, a back-translation of its original name, Día de Muertos. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico where the day is a public holiday. Prior to Spanish colonization in the 16th century, the celebration took place at the beginning of summer. Gradually, it was associated with October 31, November 1, and November 2 to coincide with the Western Christian triduum of Allhallowtide: All Saints’ Eve, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using calaveras, aztec marigolds,[2] and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed,[3] and visiting
The Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday focusing on gathering to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is celebrated on November 2 in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2). The celebration takes place on November 1st in Western Christianity and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity. The day is a national holiday in many countries, most commonly known as All Saints’ Day, Hallowmas, Feast of All Saints, or Solemnity of All Saints.
The celebration lasts for about three days, and is filled with marigolds, sugar skulls and skeletons. People go to cemeteries to be with the souls of the departed and build private altars containing the favorite foods and beverages, as well as photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls so that the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of appreciation by their loved ones. Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about their deceased friends.
In 2008, the tradition was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
The origins of Halloween are found in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death.
Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.
To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and