Essay On Day Of The Dead

In Mexico, Dia de los Muertos is a celebration to honor the dead. This holiday was made for people struggle with losing loved ones, and celebrating it was found to be a good way to help them cope. Families can be seen in the cemetery bringing festive gifts to memorialize lost members.

It starts on November 1st and ends on November 2nd. On the first day of the celebration, the children are commemorated and on the second day the adults are then commemorated. Another important thing that is relevant in the day of the dead is the “pan de muerto” or the “bread of the dead”. People usually put it on the gravesite for decoration. The” papel picado” or “cut out paper” is use to decorate the altar and the gravesite and the sugar skull that are made with sugar cane also are used as a

Dia de Los Muertos, also known as the Day of the Dead, is an internationally recognized Mexican holiday which consists of the gatherings of friends and family to honor those who have passed. Similar rituals commemorating those who have deceased are believed to have began around 3,000 years ago. Dia de Los Muertos takes place three days from October 31st to November 2nd. October 31st is known as All Hallows Eve and is a time when the children invite the spirits of deceased children to come back. November 1st is All Saints Day and is when the adult spirits are said to return. November 2nd is All Souls Day and is when families go and decorate the graves of their lost loved ones. The building of private altars in cemeteries containing the

El día de los muertos or Day of the Dead is a Celebration for families to celebrate their loved ones whom they’ve lost. This holiday originated in Mexico and the history is similar to the natives whom celebrated something similar to this holiday, and the Mexican took parts of it to create their own holiday. The Day of The Dead is celebrated in November compared to Halloween that is celebrated on the last day of October.

El día de los Muertos, also known as, Day of the Dead, is celebrated starting on October 31st, Halloween, and ends on November 2 of each year. It is a Mexican holiday, primarily a Catholic holiday, celebrated throughout Mexico, the Central and South regions. The significance of this celebration is prayer and remembrance of friends and family members who have died. On November 1st, the children would be the first to return to Earth and then on November 2nd, the adults would follow, which is why November 2nd is considered All Souls’ Day. (Kerri Allen, 2004) It is common for the families to put out pictures of their loved ones who have passed away on an alter and put out their favorite foods and gifts. Incense are lit, food is offered, mass is

II. Relevance to the audience: Everyone has had a loved one or someone they know pass away and have gone to the cemetery to honor their death, which is why Dia de los Muertos is celebrated in all parts of the world.

The belief in the afterlife involved with this holiday is very similar to that of the mesoamericans. The aztecs in particular had a month long celebration, very similar to that of Day of the Dead, in which they honored and delivered offerings to the deceased. When the spaniards arrived they did a fair job of popularizing their faith among the mesoamericans. The mesoamericans moved their month long celebration of death to coincide with the catholic holidays of All Saints and All Souls(November 1st and 2nd). Today, Day of the Dead is about celebrating death by creating altars carpeted with offerings to the souls of loved ones. Today, an iconic symbol of Día de los Muertos is the skeleton, one of the most significant skeleton characters is La Catrina. Day of the Dead is now picking up bits and pieces of Halloween tradition. Children are now participating in pedir los muertos, or ask the dead, during which children dress in costumes and meander, receiving candy as well as things from people’s day of the dead altars, in some places.

The last day of the celebration is November 2nd: el Día de los Muertos, the day of the dead, or All Souls Day. This is the day when people celebrate the lives of their passed loved ones by decorating graves, homes, and creating altars in remembrance and celebration of their lives. This holiday is extremely important to the culture and traditions of the people of Mexico (unm.edu).

Although Dia de Los Muertos looks a lot like Halloween in the states, the Mexicans take it very seriously. To give you a better idea of how Mexicans view death I found a quote by World Renowned writer Octavio Paz, he stated "undaunted by death, the Mexican has no qualms about getting up close and personal with death, noting that he "...chases after it, mocks it, courts it, hugs it, sleeps with it; it is his favorite plaything and his most lasting love." As you can see from the pictures you saw today and from the celebration 's I told you about, Death 's "bad" side seems to be buried somewhere under music and remembrances, while skeletons laugh and dance and sing as Mexico celebrates life and

Candy flows through Mexico during el Dia de los Muertos and most of the candy displayed and eaten takes the form of sugar skulls. There are many different ways to make these sugar skulls. Some are large and thin, Some are coated with sesame seeds and nuts and Some are chocolate and decorated with hard candies. But most of those that are used to decorate the tombs are small, hard sugar skulls, painted with frosting and bits of foil.

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a holiday that commemorates the family and its importance to human beings, both personally and culturally. Through various rituals, people honor their ancestors and those that have already passed on before them. The rituals that go on during this time are culturally rich practices that have been passed on for hundreds of years. Family members will go to graveyards to decorate relative’s graves with altars and tell fond stories of the deceased. Others will perform traditional dances or make quilts as tribute to their ancestors. Overall, Day of the Dead emphasizes the remembrance of loved ones and their significance to us through deeply embedded customs.

While I was unable to attend, this community gathering, I did find Dr. Gonzales description of the Day of the Dead meaningful. In her email, she stated the following.

Day of the Asleep is a Mexican break that is commended on October 31 - November 2 of every year.

One of the most famous celebrations in Spanish culture is the Day of the Dead. The Day of the Dead is an annual event that happens from the 31st of October to the 2nd of November. It is a lively, colorful, and festive celebration. Unlike the Western perspective that death is bad, Spanish culture accepts that death is a natural part of life. Mexican essayist Octavio Paz explains this unique concept in The Labyrinth of Solitude: “[The Spanish culture] is familiar with death, jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates it; it is one of his favorite toys and his most steadfast love…death is not hidden away.” The Day of the Dead is how many Spanish-speakers remember and celebrate their dead loved ones’ lives and achievements. To commemorate the dead, people build and decorate altars for family member who have died, hold vigils in the cemeteries, and honor their loved ones’ legacies through parades, music, and dancing. Traditional beliefs and folklore also say that on the nights during the Day of the Dead, spirits have close contact with the living world. Because family is such a central part of Spanish culture, the Day of the Dead is also dedicated to unifying family. In fact, the presence of loved ones’ souls supposedly brings good luck to the family and helps unify them

In Mexico, fiestas occur frequently throughout the year as a custom. Mexicans gather on these holidays to eat dance,take part in parades, and remember historic or religious events. Mexican Independence Day celebrates the separation of the country from Spain on September 16, 1810. Another famous celebration is Day of the Dead which is celebrated on the first of November. Although it may sound scary, this celebration is a cheerful time of remembering friends and family members who have died.