Los Dias de los Muertos

Los Dias de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead, is one of the most important holidays celebrated in Mexico. The ritualistic festivals of this holiday have long interested many cultures due to their spiritual ambiance and polar combination of both mourning and celebration. Although most Catholic countries celebrate this day, November 2, as All Saints' or All Souls' Day, Mexico, by far, has the largest festivals. Los Dias de los Muertos has an interesting orgin, is cloaked with beautiful beliefs and rituals, and is celebrated throughout Mexico.

The origins of The Day of the Dead in Mexico date back about 3000 years ago to the Olmecs, well before the arrival of Europeans. However, when the Europeans brought their All Saints' Day, there was a blending of the two celebrations. Even though the European church opposed this, the fact that this holiday has native Mexican as well as Hispanic origins makes it an integral part of Mexican culture.

Many Americans have been attracted to Los Dias de los Muertos because of its interesting beliefs and rituals. This holiday is not a time for dwelling on the sadness of losing loved ones but is a time to celebrate the lives of the dead. Many special foods such as candy, breads, and buns shaped like skulls, skeletons, masks, and puppets are made. Specifically, Pan de los Muertos, or Bread of the Dead, is often prepared. Many Mexicans who celebrate this holiday believe that being "Dead is only the door through which each soul passes to another state of life." It is believed that communication between the dead and the living can occur once a year during the Day of the Dead. In case dead loved ones return to their grave sites on this special night, the graves are decorated with flowers, pictures, favorite foods of the dead person, and candles. On the Day of the Dead, cemetaries are often the location of many celebrations.

Los Dias de los Muertos is celebrated throughout Mexico in many different ways. One of the largest celebrations of this holiday is in San Andres Mixquic, a town near Mexico City which attracts thousands of people from different parts of the world. On the evening of November 2, everything and everyone is decorated and there are large feasts in the cemetaries. There is also a popular festival celebrating The Day of the Dead in Oaxaco, Mexico. It usually takes families an entire month to prepare all of the food, altars, and decorations needed for this festival. The feast here is very similar to the pre-hispanic Native Mexicans' celebration, and mixes sad visits to the graveyard with happiness and feasting. Furthermore, in Mexico City, the middle and lower class homes often convert tables into altars holding gifts and favorite foods for their dead family members. Although the Day of the Dead is similar in all parts of Mexico, each festival has its own distinct flavor.