Celebrate the Day of the Dead – Día de Los Muertos

What is “Day of the Dead”?

You may already know that “Day of the Dead” is one of the main festivities in Mexico. This celebration takes place mainly on the 1st and 2nd of November, but the festivities actually start on October 31st. During this period, Mexican families go to their family cemeteries to clean the tombs of their loved ones who have moved on to a better life. In some regions of Mexico, they put some flowers, candles, and other decorations on the tombs. Some people take food and a music group (Mariachi) to their family member’s tomb to have a great time with their families. The Mexican culture believes that family members who are here on Earth and those who have passed away can be together on this special day.

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You can see a little glimpse of Mexican Day of the Dead in the Disney movie “Coco” below.

At home, families set up an altar for the dead, which is decorated with marigolds, papel picado, and other traditional decorations. The papel picado is a piece of colored paper that has a design cut out. Some of them can be surprisingly intricate. Usually, many pieces are strung together to make a long banner. This is one of the quintessential festival decorations in Mexico. You’ll love how they brighten up a party instantly! Perfect for any fiesta-themed-get-to-gather along with a piñata or two.

Also, on a table, Mexican families display photos of the relatives who are remembered and some food and drinks they liked when they were alive. The famous Sugar skulls are often displayed as well.

What does the skull mean in Day of the Dead?

You may have wondered why the skeleton makeup and the dress? Well, the history of the female skeleton character “La Catrina” started back in the early 1900’s when Mexican publications began using skeleton characters to criticize the general state of the country, the privileged class, and other social or political situations. Later, a famous Mexican cartoon illustrator José Guadalupe Posada invented a female character called “Catrina” to criticize native people who dressed themselves up in elegant clothing in order to appear as rich Europeans. So the skeleton makeup is to remind them of their origins. No matter how rich or poor we are or where we come from, we all end up as skeletons in the end.

Day of the Dead Dia de los muertos - Learn Spanish through Culture

In 2010, la Catrina had her 100th birthday. Over the years, she has become the icon of Day of the Dead festivities. The male version of Catrina is called “Catrín,” and he is dressed up like a fine gentleman as well. Because of this, in Mexican Spanish, the word “Catrín” is used to describe a man who is well-dressed and dandy.

In Mexico, you will find many Catrina-themed parades and festivities everywhere on those dates. So dress up and enjoy being Catrina or Catrín for a day!

More about the Day of the Dead

Did you enjoy the Coco movie teaser trailer above? You can see how the Day of the Dead is celebrated in Mexico in this movie “Coco.” Luis and I love this movie! The story is very heartwarming, and the movie itself is beautifully done. Especially, the visual effect is truly amazing. I REALLY recommend it for both kids and adults! I’m pretty sure you’ll love it, too!

Here’s the Coco Official Final Trailer if you want to see more!

What is the Typical Food for Day of the Dead?

The typical food around this holiday is “Pozole.” It’s a type of soup with pork or chicken-based broth with carrots, potatoes, chayotes, and hominy. It’s a very traditional Mexican soup and usually topped with cilantro, onion, radish, lettuce or cabbage. It takes a little bit of time and effort to make it, but it’s definitely worth it, especially on a cold winter day or for any Mexican festivities.

If you are interested in hosting a Mexican-themed party, you may enjoy these posts as well.

Now, this is how Luis explains the Day of the Dead in Spanish.

Día de los Muertos

El día de los muertos es una de las principales festividades en México. Se celebra principalmente los días 1 y 2 de noviembre, pero los festejos empiezan desde el 31 de octubre. En esta fecha las personas acuden al panteón a limpiar los monumentos de sus seres queridos que pasaron a mejor vida. Les ponen flores y velas en algunas regiones de México. Llevan comida y grupos de música para pasar un buen rato con la familia viva y los que ya partieron.

En las casas se pone un altar de muertos que se decora con papel picado y flor de muerto. En una mesa se ponen las fotos de los familiares que se recuerdan y se les pone la comida y la bebida que les gustaba en vida porque al pasar del mundo de los muertos, extraerán la esencia de los alimentos.

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