Dia De Los Muertos Or Day Of The Dead

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, originated from the Aztecs and was originally celebrated at a different time of year. However, the dates were changed when the Spaniards tried to catholicize the holiday they considered heathen. Now coinciding with All- Saints Day and All Soul Day, it is celebrated on the first and second of November in many countries, such as Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, Spain, and even some communities in the United States. There were many traditional Día de los Muertos festivities shown in both the animated short and The Book of Life. In the short video, a young girl visited her mother’s grave, which was decorated with marigolds, a traditional flower for the holiday, and other items such as pictures and candles. The girl became sad upon thinking of her mother, until she got to spiritually visit her. The video showed the girl taken to a place of skeletons eating and dancing, two traditional festivities of Día de los Muertos. Skeletons are also a very large part of the holiday, usually shown dancing or smiling. In The Book of Life, there were many symbols and festivities shown that are traditional for Día de los Muertos, such as skulls, marigolds, skeletons, ofrendas,

food, and dancing. An example from the movie is Joaquin at his father’s ofrenda eating pan de muerto, a custom food of this holiday.
Both the short animated video and The Book of Life accurately portrayed Día de los Muertos.

Día de los Muertos is a happy, celebratory holiday, which was depicted in both the short animated video and the movie. They had a lot of color and vibrancy, and showed many activities that are traditional in celebrating Día de los Muertos. Some of these were visiting gravesites, leaving flowers, setting up pictures at las ofrendas, dancing, and eating. There were also many symbols, such as the skulls, which are used to honor those who have passed. They represent both birth and death. There were also skeletons, always shown smiling, laughing, or making funny faces to represent the true meaning of Día de los Muertos, which is remembering the lives of the deceased in a joyful

manner.
Some may say the animated short and The Book of Life did not accurately portray Día de los Muertos. This is because of the way the souls “coming back” was represented. People that celebrate this holiday believe that the spirits of their loved ones are with them as they remember their lives. However, in the short video and in the movie, those who had passed were shown not only to be spiritually, but also physically with their family members, which is an unrealistic idea.
Día de los Muertos may be spread in the United States for several reason, not all being positive. Some people may think of it as a second Halloween, using the days as an excuse to dress up and eat food. There are several communities in the United States that have used this holiday to celebrate the lives of deceased celebrities and rock stars, such as the annual celebration held in Texas. If American citizens were more educated about Día de los Muertos, it would become much more popular, because it is a great way to help remember loved ones in a positive manner, rather than melancholy grieving.