Dia De Los Muertos Essay

Dia de los muertos, a celebration in Mexico, is a holiday that celebrates the dead. Dia de los muertos means day of the dead, and it is exactly that. This holiday, occurring on the first and second of November, is a way for people to celebrate the dead and the lives they lived. On October 31st the gates of heaven open and the spirits can begin making their long journey home. Each day of Dia De los Muertos has a specific meaning and purpose. On November first, the souls of dead children are welcomed. This specifically is called Dia De Los Inocentes (Day of the innocents) or Dia De Los Angelitos (Day of the little angels). November second is when the adult spirits arrive and they may only stay for 24 hours. Once the 24 hours are up, all of the spirits will be gone. Dia De Los Muertos honors every one of the spirits of the dead with festivals, celebrations, dancing, and

The most common items thought of are sugar skulls, marigolds, and Calavera Catrina. To begin, sugar skulls are a homemade treat made to look like skulls; they are colorfully decorated to represent the joy and happiness of the spirit’s lives. People also paint other skulls or clothing to look similar to sugar skulls. Marigold flowers, another classic symbol for Day of the Dead, are bright flowers that are usually commonly seen on altars. The flowers are placed on the altar because they are said to help attract the spirits. Finally, Calavera Catrina is a huge symbol in Mexico, especially for Day of the Dead. She was originally the Aztec goddess of the underworld, but later on she was included in a satirical picture created by Jose Guadalupe. She has been recreated many times and is now represented in various different ways throughout Mexican Culture. She has become a very important figure for Dia de los Muertos and represents everything it