Day of the Dead  (“Dia De Los Muertos”)

The Day of the Dead is a holiday celebrated mainly in Latin America, especially in Mexico.  The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died.  The celebration occurs on the 1st and 2nd of November, in connection with the Catholic holy days of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day which take place on those days.  Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.

Many people believe that during the Day of the Dead, it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living.  People go to cemeteries to communicate with the souls of the departed, and build private altars, containing the favorite foods and beverages, as well as photos and memorabilia, of the departed.  The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so that the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them.  Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed; some get drunk to celebrate the deceased.

A common symbol of the holiday is the skull, called calavera, which celebrants represent in masks, called calacas (colloquial term for "skeleton"), and foods such as sugar or chocolate skulls, which are inscribed with the name of the recipient on the forehead. Sugar skulls are gifts that can be given to both the living and the dead.

Another famous symbol of the holiday is figure called "La Calavera de la Catrina" ("calavera of the female dandy").  It is a parody of a Mexican upper class female.   This striking image of a costumed female with a skeleton face has become associated with the Day of the Dead, and Catrina figures often are a prominent part of modern Day of the Dead observances.

While this may all seem to be a morbid holiday, it is actually a celebration of life.  It is the remembering and reminiscing of our loved ones who have passed before us and hope to see again.