What is Dia de los Muertos? Why is it celebrated? Let’s find out.
Introduction
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a holiday celebrated mainly in Mexico to honor the lives of the dead. It is generally celebrated on November 1-2.
History
Dia de los Muertos originated when an ancient Aztec ritual of honoring the dead combined with All Souls’ Day (a relative of the ancestor of Halloween). It eventually spread from its homeland to Latin America and the U.S.
Celebration
This Hispanic holiday honors the dead by holding large parties honoring them in ancestors’ gravesites, creating altars called ofrendas, and cleaning and decorating gravesites. The celebrations vary quite differently from region to region all around the Americas. Colorful skeletons and skulls, called calacas and calaveras respectively, can be found during the celebrations, and are often portrayed as doing an action, such as playing music or making tortillas. People also wear calavera face paint.
Fun Facts
Dia de los Muertos is a school holiday in Mexico.
José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) was a Mexican cartoonist who drew many calaveras.
Marigolds are believed to serve as a pathway for the dead to their families because of their bright colors.
We at YNH hope you have a great Halloween/Dia de los Muertos!
By Mihir Gupta
Very good Mihir.Got to learn a new thing.Keep it up