Day of the Dead

Many of you who remain updated about the various events celebrated worldwide will probably know what the Day of the Dead is. Yes, you guessed it right, it is a Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a brief reunion. The Mexican people also call this day el Dia de Los Muertos.

This reunion includes food, drink, and celebration among the family members. People all over the world celebrate this day each year from October 31 to November 2. As per the sources, it is a blend of Mesoamerican rituals, European religion, and Spanish culture. While October 31st is Halloween, November 2nd is All Souls Day or the Day of the Dead.

As per tradition, people believe that the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31st, and the spirits of children can region their families for 24 hours. Similarly, the spirits of adults can do it on November 2nd. So in today’s article, we will discuss some unknown facts about this day. Stay tuned to us to receive all the updates!

Some Historical Details About The Day Of The Dead

We can trace the celebration of this day to 3000 years ago in contemporary Mexico and among the Mexican heritage in the United States. As we said earlier, people celebrated this day to honor the dead in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. So the people of Central Mexico held a cynical view of the universe and saw death as an integral and omnipresent part of our life.

As per the sources, people believed that a person traveled to the Land of the Dead, and only after getting through nine challenging levels could the person’s soul finally reach the resting place. Previously, this day was held in August as per tradition. So family members provided food, water, and tools to aid the deceased in this difficult journey.

This is what inspired the modern-day celebration of the Day of the Dead. So on this day, people leave food and other offerings on their loved ones’ graves or set them out on makeshift altars. Let us now delve deeper into other unknown aspects of this day.

How Do People Celebrate The Day?

Often people think that the Day of the Dead is a Mexican version of Halloween. Even though the two holidays do share some traditions, including costumes and parades, they are still not entirely the same. As per the sources, it is believed that on this day, the border between the spirit world and the real world dissolves.

So during this brief period, the souls of the dead awaken and return to the living world to feast, drink, dance, and play music with their loved ones. In fact, on this day, the living family members treat the deceased as honored guests in their celebrations. Moreover, they leave their favorite foods and other offerings they prepare at home.

At times, they also decorate their offerings with candles, bright marigolds, and red cock combs, along with foods like stacks of tortillas and different fruits. Two of the most prominent symbols related to the Day of the Dead are calacas (skeletons) and Calaveras (skulls).

What Kind Of Costumes Do People Wear On This Day?

Many of you might wonder what the people wear during the celebration of this day. Let us share with you all the details in this section. During the Day of the Dead festivities, people generally wear skull masks and eat sugar candy. People mold these candies into the shape of skulls.

According to the sources, All Souls Day rituals in Spain are reflected in the traditional sweet baked good of Day of the Dead celebrations. In fact, there are lots of foods and drinks that people associate with that day. It includes spicy dark chocolate and a corn-based drink called atole. People wish each other a happy Day of the Dead. They say, “Feliz dia de Los Muertos.” So you can understand why people celebrate this day worldwide and what makes it so special.

Ending Note

So as we conclude, we can say that Day of the Dead is celebrated all over the world. People of different religions celebrate it. Even though it was originally an event of the Mexicans, different people celebrate it. On this day, they call the spirits on Earth to celebrate with their loved ones. You can have a look here to learn all the interesting details.

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