A festive celebration of life to honor the dead. With a belief that our loved ones who passed away, wouldn’t want the surviving family to be mourning all the time but instead, must celebrate the lives of the deceased.
This article will explain further about what the Daye of The Dead is, its origins, traditions, and meaning!
Let’s jump right in.
What Is Day of The Dead?
The Day of The Dead, or Día de Los Muertos, is a tradition in the form of holidays and festivals that celebrates the life of the dead by honoring them with parties, ceremonies, food, and drinks.
On The day of The Dead, people believe that the deceased is awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones.
The deceased would be insulted by their mourning and sadness. So instead, they should respond to it in a positive way such as by celebrating joyous occasions like eating and drinking the deceased’s favorite food together with the family.
The holiday is celebrated as both an intimately private and communally public activity. It is a form of celebration of life to honor the deceased.
“The Day of The Dead taps into the human need to acknowledge, understand and assign meaning to the ephemeral nature of life and death”. (source: albany.edu)
Day of The Dead History and Origins
The Day of The Dead originated in Mexico. It is typically Latin American custom that combines indigenous Aztec ritual with Catholicism, imposed on the region by Spanish conquistadores (Spanish explorer or conqueror of Latin America in the 16th century).
Source: nationalgeographic.org.
With a touch of Mexico’s unique heritage, Dia de Los Muertos becomes a time of joyful celebration, one full of warm expectations of reunion with the dead.
What we know as Dia de Los Muertos today is the result of a syncretism of pre-Columbian polytheism and Iberian pagan and Christian practices.
Why do people celebrate the day of the dead?
People celebrate the day of the dead because it is a way for families to express their love for the deceased while also overcoming feelings of sadness by coming together.
On The Day Of The Dead where those who passed away, are believed to be awakened and will visit their family to celebrate.
Instead of mourning and being sad, which they believe the deceased wouldn’t want the family to feel like, they express their love by honoring and remembering the good times they had with their loved ones.
Where is Day of The Dead Celebrated?
The Day of The Dead holiday and festival is primarily celebrated in Mexico, where it is originated from.
In the United States. cities with large populations of Mexican Americans, like Texas, Arizona, San Diego, and Albuquerque have the largest celebrations of the Day of The Dead.
There is also a Day of The Dead annual festival that is held at historic Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood.
When is Day of The Dead?
The Day of The Dead holiday begins on October 31, also known as Halloween, and is then celebrated on November 1 and 2.
Halloween or All Hallow’s Eve is believed to be the day when the human world and the spirit world would connect, allowing the dead to be able to visit their families.
People honor children and infants who have passed first on November 1st or known as All Saint’s Day, then continue to honors adults on the next day or known as All Souls’ Day.
How long does the day of the dead last?
The Day of The Dead last for three days It begins on October 31st and ends on November 2.
The Day of The Dead falls on the same date every year.
What are the traditions and activities of The day of the dead?
There are multiple remembrances and traditional cultures, activities, and symbols that are popular when celebrating The Day of The Dead. Here are some of them:
Altars or ofrendas
Ofrendas means offerings to the dead. On The Day of The Dead, families will establish altars to honor their loved ones.
Altars can be decorated with Cempasuchils or Mexican marigold flowers, pictures of the deceased, candies, sugar skulls, mementos of loved ones, and other things that honor them.
Personalized altars are believed to act as landing pads for the long-missed dead
Parades
Otherwise known as Catrina Parade, People will parade the streets with skulls painted or worn as a mask on their faces.
It is a cheerful parade where people would parade together to cemeteries or just around the town celebrating The Day of The Dead.
Would You Like a Beautiful Memorial Website for Your Loved One?
Keep your loved one’s memories and legacy alive with Murial. Creation is fast, easy and free. You can share the page with families & friends to honor your loved one together.
See Murial’s Memorial Creator.
Alright. Thanks for lending an ear. Let’s get back to reading!
Graves decorations
Visiting the gravesite is one of the biggest traditions for the Day of the Dead.
Families will decorate their loved ones’ graves to honor them. Flowers like Cempasuchil are often used as decorations.
Cempasuchil Flowers
Cempasuchil Flower or otherwise known as Mexican marigold, is a vibrant orange flower, with a pungent scent that comes from its leaves and stem.
It is one of the most popular flowers on The Day of The Dead that is used in altars, grave decorations, and others.
It is believed that the fragrance of these bright oranges and yellow flowers can lead souls from their burial places to their family homes.
With their naturally cheerful colors, Mexican marigold flowers add to the celebratory mood of the holiday’s festivities.
Calacas and Calaveras (Skulls)
You will find plenty of skulls at the festival of The Day of The Dead. In candied sweets, parade masks, dolls, costumes, hats, and many other decorations.
There will be Images of skulls and skeletons carved into stone walls. People will also be making sugar skulls at home.
It is interesting to note that although skulls usually represent something that is somber and morbid, The Day of The Dead’s tradition actually makes sweets out of it.
It shows how they really intend to celebrate the life of the deceased by remembering it in a cheerful way (sugars).
Skulls also symbolize as a reminder and acceptance that death is always part of life.
Dogs
Dogs are believed to play a special role in the afterlife. Mexican hairless dog, also known as Xolos (Xoloitzcuintli), is respected as a spirit that will guide the deceased to the kingdom of the dead.
A dog doll is often put in an Ofrenda. Dante, a dog from Disney’s 2017 movie Coco is a Xolos dog companion of the movie’s main character.
Monarch butterfly
Often present in altar decorations, Monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico each fall. The people believe Monarch butterflies are the spirits of the ancestors that are coming to visit.
Monarch butterflies are often displayed as decorations on The Day of The Dead festivals.
Sharing memories of the deceased
Families would gather, and feast on the deceased favorite food as a way to celebrate their life. There is also pan de muerto, local favorites like tamales,enchiladas, and other candies.
Alcohols, parties, music, and dances are often present in these gatherings.
People will be sharing memories and stories to remember their loved ones. Because the people believe that the deceased would want to be remembered cheerfully by others, they usually share stories that are positive or funny.
End of Article
The Day of The Dead is a tradition strongly associated with Mexico. It is a celebration of life where people will honor their loved ones in a positive and cheerful way.
Honoring a loved one together with families, remembering their good deeds and all the memorable stories together with food and party.
It is truly festive, and a wonderful way of remembering the deceased!
Remember your loved ones with a beautiful online memorial website.
Create a memorial website so that your loved one will not be forgotten. Invite families and friends to share their memories of your loved ones by creating a memorial website at Murial. Try now for free. (It's fast and easy!) Visit Murial's Memorial Creator.