Day of the Dead

According to tradition, on the Day of the Dead the heavens open, and departed souls return to earth, briefly.

The altars include a representation of the four elements. The altars usually include photos of the visitors. The skull, which represents the cyclicity of life, is a predominant symbol of the day. What is Day of the Dead? Families create “ofrendas” (altars) on the graves of their loved ones. [gather](/features/2017/11/2/day-of-the-dead-a-unique-understanding-of-death) in cemeteries to remember their departed family members, in a celebration that is the country’s most important fiesta.

Dia de los Muertos marries Aztec and Catholic customs to remember the spirits of deceased loved ones.

[Terms of use,](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/user-policies-a6184151.html) [Cookie policy](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/cookie-policy-a6184186.html) and [Privacy notice.](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/privacy-policy-a6184181.html) She was designed by cartoonist Jose Guadalupe Posada around 1910 to satirise the adoption of European aristocratic fashions in Mexico and to remind ordinary people not to harbour pretensions to be anything other than they truly are. [Privacy policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en) and [Terms of service](https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en) apply. La Catrina famously appears in Diego Rivera’s mural “Dreams of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park”, painted in 1946-47. [Joe Sommerlad](/author/joe-sommerlad) Comments [Mexico](/topic/mexico) celebrates [Day of the Dead](/topic/day-of-the-dead), or Dia de los Muertos, once again on 1 and 2 November, its annual festival honouring the memory of lost relatives and loved ones by welcoming their spirits back to the land of the living.

Feliz Día De Lost Muertos! which means Happy Day of The Dead! This traditional Mexican is typically from October 31 through November 2.

Holyoke Community College (HCC) will celebrate Dia de los Muertos, the traditional Mexican Day of the Dead holiday on Wednesday.

Tourists making a pilgrimage to a modest Mexican home during Day of the Dead festivities leave with no doubt: Mama Coco, the character of the Oscar-winning ...

That's why we decided to keep the doors open," she said. She was always happy. "It looks a lot like her!

When the pandemic hit, I became obsessed with death. Through the ritual of Dia de los Muertos, I channeled my anxiety into a celebration of life.

What I saw during Florida debate is worrisome.](https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2022/10/30/desantis-crist-debate-insight-presidential-candidate-2024/10593536002/) [I'm no fan of Trump, but Elon Musk should let former president come back to Twitter](https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2022/10/28/elon-musk-owns-twitter-let-donald-trump-come-back/10618849002/). I now treat it with the solemnity and attention it deserves. I realize that I did not fully respect the tradition of such an important event until I was faced with my own mortality. It was difficult to get up in the morning and try to work and take care of my kids. [Dia de los Muertos](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/10/30/what-is-day-of-the-dead-dia-de-los-muertos/10606538002/) (Day of the Dead) altar is not very elaborate. I got a crash course in Mexican culture, however, when I met my partner (born in Guanajuato) and moved to Mexico City in the winter of 2014. The ritual of inviting the dead home for a day is not about absence – it is an acceptance of what comes after, and a celebration of the life of the person who passed on. Now once a year, instead of just going through the perfunctory motions of setting up an altar, I talk to my late grandparents and mother-in-law, whom I never had the opportunity to meet. When the Western world realized the true seriousness of the coronavirus, I – like many other people – became obsessed with death. [Dia de los Muertos](https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/day-of-the-dead) is a [three day celebration](https://www.gob.mx/telecomm/es/articulos/dia-de-muertos-256159?idiom=es) that starts on Oct. Looking back, I realize I didn't fully respect the task ahead of me. Today, as the mother of two Mexican American girls, I am trying to correct that.

At the Shiloh Square, community members built an ofrenda or altar, where anyone can add their offerings. Along with the celebration hosted by the Downtown ...

The most famous version is performed by the late singer of Costa Rican origin Chavela Vargas. Other popular interpreters include Mexican artists Lila Downs, ...

For this reason, many Latin artists have lent their voice to showcase the traditional melodies of this Mexican festi Phoenix-based singer Danny Felix, one of the pioneers of the corrido tumbao genre, also released new music in honor of Day of the Dead. In this song, Venegas captures her memories of Mexico and is strongly inspired by the Day of the Dead. “Recuérdame” is the main theme song from the Disney Pixar film, Coco. The song is part of her seventh album, Tu Historia, set to be released on Nov. The most famous version is performed by the late singer of Costa Rican origin Chavela Vargas.

In the northwestern Mexican border city of Tijuana, the celebration of Halloween is becoming more deeply rooted among the public alongside the Mexican ...

And that’s being handed down,” she said. ”Perhaps due to the nearness of the U.S. Besides it’s a fun day,” she said. Regarding the Day of the Dead tradition, she said that it’s “something mixed” and that “neither (celebration) takes away anything from the other; they can both be celebrated and nothing (bad) happens.” It’s a U.S. Sandra, a Tijuana native, has been celebrating Halloween since she was a little girl and said that it’s even celebrated in her hometown more than the Day of the Dead, which is held on Nov.

Mourners in Haiti, Mexico and Peru celebrate All Saints' Day and the Day of the Dead (AP)

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Wednesday is one of Mexico's most important holidays -- Dia de los Muertos -- also known as Day of the Dead.

It was believed the souls of the dead could visit the living. The idea resonated with 16th-century Spanish settlers, who turned it into a holiday. Graves are also decorated with personal belongings and marigold flowers.

1. Day of the Dead can be traced to pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Ancient Aztec (and other Nahua group) rituals often viewed death as an essential, cyclical part ...

[Learn more about the traditions of the Day of the Dead.](https://dayofthedead.holiday/) Despite the common belief that the Day of the Dead is exclusively a Mexican tradition, other countries celebrate the holiday—including Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru—each with their own singularities. This bright orange and yellow flower is also used to signify the beauty and fragility of life. One of the most common Day of the Dead traditions is building an altar that acts as a doorway for the deceased to visit their living relatives. One example is Pan de Muerto (or “bread of the dead”), a traditional Mexican sweet bread baked in the shape of skulls or bones, which is believed to sustain the deceased. Ancient Aztec (and other Nahua group) rituals often viewed death as an essential, cyclical part of life—a concept which is used in today’s Day of the Dead practices.

One of the most important ancestral Mexican traditions is celebrated over two days after the modern tradition of Halloween.

In the town of Santa Fe de la Laguna in Mexico, tourists from all across the world and Pixar fans alike gather during the Day of the Dead festivities to ...

That's why we decided to keep the doors open," she said. She was always happy. "It looks a lot like her!

On November 1-2 people from around the world are joining in on Day of the Dead celebrations, including one in Downtown Springdale.

It is a two-day festival which originates from Aztec rituals to honor those that have passed away. Families gather to hold vigils and parties in honor of those ...

[Halloween](https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/celebrities/2022/11/01/6360eab822601d45408b458b.html)and the aim is not at all to scare people. [Day of the Dead](https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/us-news/2022/11/01/63615f3c268e3ea35f8b45ae.html) festival, Dia de Muertos in Spanish, started on November 1 and the aim is to celebrate the lives of friends and family who have passed away and are on their journey in the afterlife. It is a very different take on what death means and how it can be thought about year on year to not lose the memory of loved ones, no matter how long ago they passed. [Which US cities celebrate Day of the Dead like in Mexico?](https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/us-news/2022/11/01/63615f3c268e3ea35f8b45ae.html) Despite the timing and how it may look to non-Spanish speaking cultures, the Day of the Dead has got nothing to do with [Takeoff killer still at large, police appeal for public help](https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/us-news/2022/11/02/636253d746163f521e8b45b3.html)

Google Doodle is celebrating Mexico's most important annual festival, Día de los Muertos, on November 2. Also known as the “Day of the Dead,” the traditional festival brings a multi-day holiday allowing families and friends to come together to honour ...

The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). All Souls’ Day observation was standardised by [Odilo](/topic/odilo), the Benedictine Abbot of [Cluny](/topic/cluny), in the 11th century. The tradition was picked by Spanish settlers in the 16th century, who later turned the festival into a holiday.

What started out as a meager celebration in 2019 (no event staged in 2020) has grown immensely each year and for the third year there was a new layout, ...

Thanks to the City of Riverbank, Parks and Recreation department, for adding to the celebration and creating such a beautiful event for all to enjoy.” One of the Promotoras was in all black with a beautiful mask and headdress and another one that was passing out goodies. “We also need more people to help with the planning part of the event. 10 and if anyone is interested in helping with the parade, they can call 209-863-7150. I loved the music and the dancing. “The dance where they balanced the candle on the head was very impressive. What started out as a meager celebration in 2019 (no event staged in 2020) has grown immensely each year and for the third year there was a new layout, more altars, and over 1000 people in attendance. Riverbank High School senior Samantha Sanchez was selected as the winner for the Catrina contest. This also allowed more space for folks to watch the entertainment on the stage in the park. The altars/ofrendas each year are becoming more and more elaborate and more families, community organizations and schools are coming together to create these beautiful displays.” The new layout gave plenty of room for the intricate and beautiful altars that had pictures of loved ones that had passed away. This is the third celebration of its kind to be held in downtown Riverbank with assistance from originator Nancy Garcia that many called a huge success.

The parades feature representations of the character La Catrina, frightful skeletons, and other icons of death and the underworld. Gathered here are a few ...

Thank you for reading The Atlantic. [Read more](#) [Read more](#) [Read more](#) [Read more](#) [Read more](#) [Read more](#) [Read more](#) [Read more](#) [Read more](#) [Read more](#) [Read more](#) [Read more](#) [Read more](#) [Read more](#) [Read more](#) For the past two days, people in Mexico and other Latin American countries have been celebrating Día de Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, paying homage to departed family members and honoring death as a part of life.

Adults and children dress as skeletons and celebrate the lives of the departed in annual joy-filled festivities.

They are a source of pride for the whole community. Like seeds planted under soil, the dead disappear temporarily only to return each year like the annual harvest. “In that mythology, the corn is buried when it’s planted and leads an underground life for a period to later reappear as a plant,” Medina said.

Omar Vidal reflects on the significance of the rituals of Day of the Dead and asks us to remember those who have disappeared in Mexico.

It is the image of a country where every day has become Día de Muertos, a Day of the Disappeared; a country that must rise up and engage the immoral forces destroying our families and our great traditions. Today is the day of all souls, of worshipping death and life in accord. A day to grieve and raise our voices in anger, and look at ourselves in the national mirror. Let us eat and drink the food and beverages our dead most loved. Today, our dead return from the afterlife to visit us, accompany and embrace us. A day when we all chant an emphatic NO to oblivion and proclaim that death is not non-existence but a living, ethereal presence.

Dominican University students and staff celebrated the Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, Wednesday.

So it is very much embedded in my culture and yearly tradition," said student Grettel Gomez. "Dia de los Muertos is a celebration. "As a Catholic Hispanic institution, it's a way for us to demonstrate that we are really true to our roots and our mission," said Mercado.