Issue link: https://www.cominghomemag.com/i/1525817
D i á d e l o s M u e r t o s The Day of the Dead, or Diá de los Muertos in Spanish, is a holiday near Halloween where people gather to remember and pay respects to friends and family members who have died. Beginning in Central Mexico, the Day of the Dead is said to have been embedded in rituals honoring the departed in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. In Aztec culture, death was a phase in life in which the soul left but returned when invited back to the living world, sharing in the joy of being reunited with friends and family. The event looks unique everywhere but often includes decorating the gravesite of the deceased and creating an altar to them at home. Offerings, called ofrendas, are left at these places to honor the dead and invite them back. You might see photos, candles, bread, salt, colorful marigolds, and the deceased person's favorite foods, drinks, and other items. Additionally, some cities hold parades that start at a cemetery and end at a church, concluding with a festival. People may also don masks or face paint depicting a sugar skull, called a calavera, and dress up. A celebratory occasion, the Day of the Dead is meant to be happy and fun. It's when the boundary between the spirit world and the real world disappears, and the dead are welcomed to eat, drink, and be merry. H o w t o C e l e b r a t e : • Host a feast with traditional Mexican stews, like Pozole and Mole • Bake Mexican sweet bread (pan de muerto) • Make sugar skulls • Watch Coco • Visit the gravesite of a loved one • Share stories of those who passed