What is The Day of the Dead?
The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos in Spanish, is a uniquely Mexican holiday where families honor their dead ancestors with food, drink and celebration.
Blended from ancient Mesoamerican rituals, European-style paganism and Mexican culture, the holiday runs from October 31st through November 2nd, and while it intersects with Halloween, the two celebrations are completely separate in origins and tradition.
Day of the Dead Mythology and History
According to Mexican mythology, the gates of heaven open wide on midnight of October 31st, allowing the spirits of departed children to rejoin their ancestors for a day, while adult spirits are allowed to visit on November 2nd after the children have returned to heaven.
Dating back 3,000 years to the dead-honoring rituals of the Aztecs and other Nahua people—who saw death as an integral part of life—upon dying, early Mesoamerican cultures believed that a person then traveled to Chicunamictlán or the Land of the Dead—a multi-year journey that involved nine challenging levels of passage.
Dia de los Muertos Altar
To help the voyagers along their way, during Day of the Dead celebrations, food and other offerings known as ofrendas are placed at a makeshift altar on Mexican graves or in Mexican homes. Ofrendas are generally decorated with candles, cempasuchil or bright marigolds and red rooster’s combs placed beside foods like tortillas and fruit.
Similar pagan celebrations sprung up in ancient Europe, consisting of bonfires, dancing, feasting and costumes, which failed to lose their appeal after the arrival of Christianity, leading the Roman Catholic Church to incorporate lasting pagan traditions with All Saints Day and All Souls Day, which are celebrated over the first two days of November.
In medieval Spain, people brought wine and spirit bread to the graves of their departed on All Souls Day, lavishing gravesites with flowers and lighted candles to help the dead find their way back to earth, making the Day of the Dead, a commonly-practiced concept through the widely-varied reach of pagan man.