Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) is one of the most famous celebrations in Mexico. While the name may be a little scary it’s actually a really sweet holiday where people pray and remember their ancestors. It’s extremely vibrant with people in the street dancing, face painting, eating and generally celebrating life in the most amazing way! It’s truly spectacular to witness and even better if you’re apart of it. It’s one of our favourite fiestas because there is nothing like it anywhere else in the world.
How do people celebrate?
People gather on 31st October, 1st and 2nd November and visit the graves of their relatives. They bring gifts like the traditional sugar skulls, marigolds and the ancestors favourite food. Sometimes they even leave possessions of the ancestors on the graves. It’s not a gloomy affair, in fact it’s really vibrant way to celebrate life.
Why do people celebrate?
The tradition can be traced back to Aztecs times where people dedicated the holiday to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. Many unique rituals have been observed over the years celebrating the deaths of ancestors. Our favourite is the amazing face painting that usually incorporate floral patterns against a pale/white face. It’s inspired from the vibrant candy skulls of Dia de los Muertos and has become iconic with Day of the Dead celebrations.
Now days, Day of the Dead brings to mind a huge festival full of amazing things to see and do. If you want to hold your own Day of the Dead Fiesta we’ve got some cool ideas to share.
Firstly invite over all your friends and family.
Then you’ll want to decorate like crazy.
An amazing feast is necessary.
Followed by a delicious drink, of course.
And with that, your Day of the Dead celebration is ready to be enjoyed by all. So – what will you and your friends be doing on October 31st, amigo?