¶ … Spanish holiday Dia de los Muertos. Specifically it will discuss countries that celebrate the holiday, how it is celebrated, traditions, and any other pertinent information. Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is an ancient Aztec traditional celebration that has taken place for thousands of years. They were already celebrating the holiday when the Spanish Conquistadors conquered the country. The Spanish did not approve of the holiday and tried to stop it, but it continues even today throughout Mexico, some other areas in Central America, and much of the United States. The Spanish did end up moving the holiday. Initially, Mexicans celebrated it in August, and it lasted an entire month. The Spanish moved it to October 31 to coincide with Catholic holidays on November 1 and 2. It is a holiday to celebrate those friends and family who have passed away, a kind of celebration of the dead. Mexicans believe their ancestors come to visit with them on October 31, and go back to heaven on November 2 (Miller).
The holiday is celebrated from October...
There are many traditions that surround the holiday, including specific foods, the making of altars, and other rituals. A reporter notes, "Today, people don wooden skull masks called calacas and dance in honor of their deceased relatives. The wooden skulls are also placed on altars that are dedicated to the dead" (Miller). In many areas, especially rural areas of Mexico, families spend the day in the cemetery, remembering their loved ones and eating their relatives' favorite foods in their honor. They also dance and sing songs for their missing relatives. Along with that, they bring tools to maintain the graves of their ancestors. They weed the graves and rake them to tidy them, and then they sit on blankets and have a picnic. Another writer notes, "The Aztecs believed in an afterlife where the spirits of their dead would return as hummingbirds and butterflies. Even images carved in the ancient Aztec monuments show this belief - the linking the spirits of the dead and the Monarch butterfly" (Editors). They believe that death is not…
