Families will also offer trinkets or the deceased's favorite candies on the grave. Toys are brought for dead children ( los angelitos, or "the little angels"), and bottles of tequila, mezcal or pulque or jars of atole for adults. These flowers are thought to attract souls of the dead to the offerings. In modern Mexico, this name is sometimes replaced with the term "Flor de Muerto" ("Flower of the Dead"). During the 3-day period, families usually clean and decorate graves most visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with ofrendas (offerings), which often include orange marigolds called "cempasúchitl" (originally named cempoalxochitl, Nahuatl for "twenty (i.e., many) flowers").
Plans for the day are made throughout the year, including gathering the goods to be offered to the dead. Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so that the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them. People go to cemeteries to communicate 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.
This is indicated by generally referring to November 1 mainly as "Día de los Inocentes" (Day of the Innocents) but also as "Día de los Angelitos" (Day of the Little Angels) and November 2 as "Día de los Muertos" or "Día de los Difuntos" (Day of the Dead). In most regions of Mexico, November 1 honors children and infants, whereas deceased adults are honored on November 2. The festivities were dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, known as the "Lady of the Dead," corresponding to the modern Catrina. The festival that became the modern Day of the Dead fell in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, about the beginning of August, and was celebrated for an entire month. In the pre-Hispanic era, it was common to keep skulls as trophies and display them during the rituals to symbolize death and rebirth. Rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors have been observed by these civilizations perhaps for as long as 2500–3000 years. The Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico can be traced back to the indigenous cultures. 2.2.4 Other similar cultural traditions.because they celebrate Halloween as a "scary" holiday. The "Day of the Dead" is a time of celebration, where partying is very common, although this is not very well understood in the U.S. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe and in the Philippines, and similarly-themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.ĭue to its time being close to Halloween, The "Day of the Dead" is commonly thought to be similar to Halloween, although the two holidays actually have little in common. In Spain, there are festivals and parades, and at the end of the day, people gather at cemeteries and pray for their loved ones who have died. Similar holidays are celebrated in many parts of the world for example, it's a public holiday ( Dia de Finados) in Brazil, where many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. Scholars trace the origins of the modern holiday to indigenous observances dating back thousands of years, and to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl. Traditions 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, and 2nd in connection with the Catholic holiday of All Saints' Day which occurs on November 1st and All Souls' Day which occurs on November 2nd. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de los Muertos, also known as All Souls' Day) is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and by Latin Americans living in the United States and Canada.