Día De Los Muertos

In Mexico they celebrate their own version of Halloween. It is called Día de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead. The festivities that they take part in are very similar to the original Celtic roots of Halloween. They share many of the same traditions, and beliefs, however, Mexicans take it to a new extreme.

Day of the Dead can be traced back over 4000 years. It is celebrated between midnight of October 31st and November 2nd. They believe that at 12:00 a.m. the spirits of deceased children can come back to the world and visit with their families for only 24 hours, and then they must return back to the other world for another year. Then on November 2nd it is said that the spirits of deceased adults can come down and enjoy the festivities that have been prepared especially for them.

In most villages, extravagant alters are made for the dead, inside of homes. They are decorated with many things to show their appreciation to the dead. These things include: hundreds of flowers, tons of different food (such as fruits and tortillas), a special bread made just for Day of the Dead called pan de muerto, and many different drinks. For the children, toys and candy is left out, and for the adults, cigarettes and alcohol is left for them. To top it all off, the alter is decorated with an assortment of sugar skulls.

To these natives the whole point of this celebration is to honor the dead, and to remember their loved ones lives, but to also keep them happy and satisfied for another year. They have a strong belief that by offering these gifts to them, they will provide protection, the best of luck, and intellect for their family.

After they celebrate at home in privacy, they head to the cemetery. Here all of the people from the area gather together to clean the graves of loved one, to pray, play cards with one another, and to speak of the fond memories with these loved ones.

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