When Is the Day of the Dead?
The holiday takes place every November 1, in connection with the Catholic holiday of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day (November 2), and also integrates some Aztec traditions. This year, the Day of the Dead takes place on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, and Wednesday, November 2, 2022. The two-day Day of the Dead festival falls closely to Halloween, but is celebrated on a larger scale—Mexicans embrace it as a festive occasion, as does much of Latin America and parts of the U.S.
What Is the Day of the Dead?
Though both the Day of the Dead and Halloween have integrations with Catholicism, they are very different. Celebrations of Halloween come from the idea that the dead are to be feared; children wear costumes as protection and scary jack-o-lanterns are supposed to ward off evil spirits. By contrast, during the Day of the Dead celebrations, the spirits of departed loved ones are welcomed into the home and cemeteries. Death is portrayed as something natural and normal.
Where Is the Day of the Dead Celebrated?
At home, people assemble little altars, stocked with the departed loved ones’ favorite foods and drinks, their photos, candles and pungent marigolds—a flower long associated with death. You do not need to be Mexican or Catholic to honor your dearly departed. The Day of the Dead is a beautiful celebration of life. This video shares the cultural significance and symbolism and will hopefully inspire you to celebrate.
Create Your Own Day of the Dead Traditions
Create a tradition this Day of the Dead by making a home altar, preparing a passed loved one’s favorite foods, and join them with a toast of remembrance. 1. How to Celebrate Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead): Learn how to celebrate the memory of loved ones lost with a traditional celebration along with Day of the Dead recipes. 2. How to Create a Simple Day of the Dead Display: An altar does not have to be large and expensive. A small and simple altar is all you need. 3. What I Want on my Altar de Muertos: What would you want your family and friends to place on your future altar? It’s something to think about. 4. Who celebrates Dia de los Muertos in the United States?: This post is very interesting and even shares statistics in a visual infographic. 5. Dia de Los Muertos Altar: Slideshow: Great ideas on what essential symbolic items are needed for a complete display. 6. Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead): One of the more traditional dishes seen at Day of the Dead celebrations is Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead). This traditional round loaf of bread has strips of dough rolled out and attached on top to represent bones and skulls. This bread is eaten and left on gravesites or on altars as part of the festivities. 7. Dia de Los Muertos – Chocolate Skull Cake: Introduce your children to the holiday by making a delicious cake together in the shape of a skull. 8. Five Mexican recipes to make for Day of the Dead: Make traditional Mexican Day of the Dead food for the occasion such as champurrado, tamales, mole, calabaza en tacha, and pan de muerto. 9. Ofrendas: Celebrating Day of the Dead: In this eBook, you will find Day of the Dead recipes and crafts to celebrate the occasion. Now discover how filmmakers created the Land of the Dead in the Oscar-nominated film Coco.
