National Hispanic Heritage Month: Day of the Dead

What is Día de los Muertos?

        Día de los Muertos—the Day of the Dead—is a holiday that starts on October 31st and ends on November 2nd. Although marked throughout Latin America, Día de los Muertos is most strongly associated with Mexico, where the tradition originated. 

        Día de los Muertos honors the dead with festivals and lively celebrations, a typically Latin American custom that combines indigenous Aztec ritual with Catholicism, brought to the region by Spanish conquistadores. (Dia de los Muertos is celebrated on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, minor holidays in the Catholic calendar.) 

        Assured that the dead would be insulted by mourning or sadness, Día de los Muertos celebrates the lives of the deceased with food, drinks, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life. Día de los Muertos recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience, a continuum with birth, childhood, and growing up to become a contributing member of the community. On Día de los Muertos, the dead are also a part of the community, awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones.

Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/dia-de-los-muertos/

• Day of the Dead Activities
• Art, History, and Culture
• Gallery of Altars