Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos in Mexico
The plazas become very busy with supplies for decoration. Photo courtesy of Edward Ornellas Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos, is a festival celebrating the reunion of dead relatives with their families, November 1st and 2nd. Every year, on November 1st (All Saints Day) and 2nd (All Souls Day), something unique takes place in many areas of Mexico: Day of the Dead festivities. In Spanish, All Saints Day and All Souls Day are known as El Dia de Todos los Santos and El Dia de los Muertos, respectively. While it’s strange for most of us to accept the fact that “death” and “festivities” can go hand-in-hand, for most Mexicans, the two are intricately entwined. This all stems from the ancient indigenous peoples of Mexico (Purepecha, Nahua, Totonac and Otomi) who believed that the souls of the dead return each year to visit with their living relatives – to eat, drink and be merry. Just like they did when they ...