Cultural celebrations

Día de los Muertos is Spanish for Day of the Dead.

It is a celebration of friends and family members who have died.

Día de los Muertos is a happy holiday. People believe that the souls of the dead come back to visit on Día de los Muertos. To welcome the spirits, people make altars with food, candles, and flowers. An altar is a special platform or table where people place offerings. People also clean and decorate the graves of their loved ones.

Día de los Muertos comes from Mexico.

The holiday is a mix of Catholic and Aztec traditions. The Aztecs were people who lived in Mexico many years ago. When European explorers came to the Americas, they brought Catholic traditions with them. The Catholic church is a type of Christian church.

In Mexico, many traditions today are a mix of Aztec and Catholic traditions.

People celebrate Día de los Muertos on November 1 and 2.

On November 1, people remember children who have died. On November 2, people remember adults who have died.

On Día de los Muertos, people celebrate friends and family members who have died. They do that in a few ways:

• They tell stories to remember people who have died.

• They clean and decorate graves of loved ones.

• They make altars to honor each person who has died. An altar is a special platform or table where people place offerings.

Here are some other common things to put on a Día de los Muertos altar:

• incense, which people burn for a sweet smell

• sugar

• skulls, or calaveras in Spanish

• salt, which stands for making things clean or pure

• water for the spirits to drink

• colorful tissue paper, which comes from Aztec traditions

Marigolds are the traditional flowers of Día de los Muertos. They are known as the flowers of the dead.

Skulls,or calaveras in Spanish, are traditional symbols of Día de los Muertos. People make and decorate sugar skulls as part of the celebration.