Heritage Edition – The Day of the Dead

We all heard about the Day of the Dead and some of us even celebrate the  Day of the Dead (History.com). The Day of the Dead is a global holiday and tradition for the hispanic community. The Day of the Dead traces back to the earliest roots by the Aztecs. They honored the people who passed away or the commune who passed (Britannica). Over the centuries, people have built altars (ofrendas) offering loved ones’ souls, favorite food,photos of them, and a special bread that goes with the altar (Oprah Daily). This bread is called ¨pan de los Muertos¨. This famous bread is placed in the ofrendas as an essential part of this celebration and also put many candles and beautiful marigolds all around the altar so that the scent of the marigolds can help the soul guide to their altars and the spirits can find their way to see their family celebrating. These flowers are also called ¨flowers of the dead¨ (flor de muerto) it also symbolizes beauty and fragility of life. 

Meanwhile families in Mexico clean the cemeteries to prepare for the spirit to come. They also bring food to attract the souls who are coming to visit their families, and people sing and dance to make the souls feel welcomed. People celebrate by putting paradies, festivals across Mexico. Over the years many people have thought the Day of the Dead and Halloween are the same, but really they are not the name of the holiday at all. There is a big difference between these two holidays. The Day of the Dead is special for some people because it feels great to honor the person you loved who has passed away. Day of the Dead is a two-day celebration, and many people in Mexico go all out. Traditional food plays a really important role in Day of the Dead, and people get really creative dressing up for Day of the Dead as well. So now you know the tradition of Day of the Dead.