Day of the Dead

Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a holiday that celebrates deceased loved ones on the first and second days of November. On this holiday, families build ofrendas (household memorials) that hold marigold petals & flowers and photos of the deceased, along with their favorite foods and drinks. The souls of the loved ones visit the living world to enjoy the offerings on the ofrendas. Despite popular belief, Día de Los Muertos is about celebrating the departed, not mourning them. 

This two-day holiday has three sections: children, adults, and everybody. The first day is known as Día de los Angelitos (day of the little angels). During the first day, the deceased children are believed to be reunited with their loved ones. The child’s photo, favorite toys, candy, snacks, and a candy skull with their name written on it are placed on the ofrenda. In the beginning half of the second day, the focus shifts from children to adults, which is called Dia de los Difuntos. It follows a similar concept as before, but the toys and candy are replaced with other items. On the second half of the second day, parades are hosted on the streets. People wear costumes inspired by skeletons during the parades. Visiting cemeteries is common during this time. It is also a tradition to clean the grave site of the deceased.

One of the traditions of Día de Los Muertos is making calaveras (skulls). These skulls are normally face paintings, but can be made out of clay and sugar called alfeñiques. The calaveras are shown with a smile and are placed on ofrendas. Another tradition is to lay marigold petals on the ground to the ofrendas. This tradition is to show the spirits where the ofrendas is, so they can enjoy the food prepared on it.

Written By: Kennedy Beshai

Edited By: Yuri Vazquez

Art By: Yuri Vazquez