The day of the dead is celebrated on the 1 st and 2 nd of November

Celebrate to honor their deceased loved ones Allows the dead to live again Believed that the deceased return to their earthly home Celebrate out of love and commitment to their loved ones People clean and decorate graves on the 31 st of October Set up altars with offerings for their loved ones

Mesoamerican civilizations believed in the afterlife Believed death was a continuance of life Resulted in celebration of death instead of fear of death Aztecs had annual festival celebrating death of their ancestors Spaniards tried to get ride of the Aztec beliefs but failed

1 st of November Celebrating all the children that have died The children come home Candy, bread, cookies, and their favorite food for the children spirits to eat on the altar Leave out toys for children to play with after eating

Day of the Dead bread put on altars for spirits to eat

Set up altars with offerings for their deceased loved ones Offerings usually included the Day of the Dead bread, candy, and other foods Create pathways for the souls to find their way home

Candles- to light a path for the souls to their altar Marigolds- symbol of death; strong smell also helps souls find their way home Photo of deceased- framed photo to whom the altar is dedicated Food- candy, bread, and other food for souls to eat

Mexico: Celebrate death Marigold flowers Celebrate in graveyards 1 st and 2 nd of November Use costumes as remembrance of the dead U.S.A. See death as upsetting and scary 31 st of October Many people avoid graveyards Use costumes to scare

Annual Dress up in costumes Eat chocolate and candy Happen in fall Use ghosts and skeletons in celebration Visit loved ones at graveyards

Mexican ancestors thought death was just the start of a beautiful life Halloween originated in Celtic culture and later spread to the U.S. October 31 st - boundaries between living and dead overlapped Deceased came to life and caused sickness and damage to crops- caused fear of dead and death Even after hundreds of years the celebration is to still honor the dead, whereas Halloween has changed from being a celebration of the end of the harvest