The Day Of The Dead

  Movies that are inspired in this celebration:  Book of Life Coco

 The food and beverages vary according to the taste of the deceased commemorated are mostly the typical Mexican dishes such as pan de muerto, sugar skulls, mole, tamales, pozole, and their drinks vary between tequila, water, atole and coffee.

 Ofrenda “Offering” While the most recognizable aspects of Day of the Dead are the representations of skulls and skeletons, the tradition that holds the most meaning is the Ofrenda (Spanish for offering). The Ofrenda is what the whole celebration is about; it’s a collection of offerings dedicated to the person being honored. A brightly colored Oilcloth covers the table and on top of that sits a collection of photographs and personal items of the departed person. The lower portion of the altar is where the offerings are placed, from traditional Mexican cuisine to other items that represent the honored person’s particular taste. The Day of the Dead is not halloween however these days they also dress up and paint themselves as skulls to commemorate this day. They often are seen smiling, as a friendly nod to death, even mocking death. This view of death began way back during the one month Aztec festival where they celebrated the dead and paid homage to the lady of death, Mictlancíhuatl...

Spirits of the adults At midnight of the following day (November 2nd), the celebrations shift to honor the lives of the departed adults. The night is filled with laughter and fun memories, much like the night before. However, the Ofrendas take on a more adult-like theme with tequila, pan de muerto, mezcal, pulque and jars of Atole. Families will also play games together, reminisce about their loved ones, and dance while the village band plays in their town. Nov 2nd, Noon Día de los Muertos Spirits of all the dead The next day is the grand finale and public celebration of Dia de Muertos. In more recent times, people come together in their cities, dressed up with Calavera painted faces (Skeletons) and have parades in the streets. Cemetery visits are also common on the last day as families will go to decorate the grave sites with Marigold flowers, gifts, and sugar skulls with the departed’s name on them. It’s customary to clean the grave stone and restore the color.

Spirits of the children Dia de los Angelitos (Day of the little angels) starts the holiday at midnight on Nov 1st, where the spirits of all deceased children are believed to be reunited with their families for 24 hours. Families construct an altar, known as an ofrenda, with the departed child’s favorite snacks, candies, toys, and photographs to encourage a visit from their departed children. The names of the departed children will often be written on a sugar skull.

 The Day of the Dead does not have a specific costume although some people dress up in skeleton costumes and paint themselves as skulls.

 In pre-Hispanic times, the cult of death was one of the basic elements of culture . When somebody died, they were wrapped in a petate and then, they were burried. His relatives arrenged a party to guide him to Mictlán.  The origin of this important festival is located in the harmony between some Catholic religious rituals, brought by the Spaniards and the commemoration of the Day of the Dead that the indigenous people had carried out since pre-Hispanic times. They transferred the veneration of their dead to the Christian calendar, which coincided with the end of the agricultural cycle of corn, the main food crop of the country. The Day of the Dead in the indigenous vision implies the transitory return of the souls of the deceased, who return home, to the world of the living, to live with family members and to be nourished by the essence of the food that is offered to them on the altars set up in their honor.