Day of the Dead *Dia de los Muerots* History of the holiday!!

Tradition~ Mexico celebrates this holiday on the last days of October and the first days of November. It has been called “The Cult of Death”.

Honoring the Dead… Two celebrations in the memory of dead loved ones takes place: On November 1st, the souls of the children are honored with special designs in the altars, using color white on flowers and candles. On November 2nd the souls of the adults are remembered with a variety of rituals, according to the different states of the Mexican republic. The celebrations of Day of the Dead or All Souls Day are referred to differently in some of the states.

People start getting ready for the celebration on the third week of October with the harvesting of the cempasuchitl flower, also known as the flower of the twenty petals or the flower of the dead which is sold in the market place or Tianguis, where the family goes to buy everything that they will need to put on the altar. On the altar they will place the ofrendas of fruits, vegetables and the special dishes prepared for the soul to enjoy the essence of the aroma of the food. This altar will also have items that once belonged to the deceased.

The Altar: Day of the Dead in Mexico represents a mixture of Christian devotion and Pre-Hispanic traditions and beliefs. The altar includes four main elements of nature — earth, wind, water, and fire. Earth is represented by crop: The Mexicans believe the souls are fed by the aroma of food. Wind is represented by a moving object: Tissue paper is commonly used to represent wind. Water is placed in a container for the soul to quench its thirst after the long journey to the altar. Fire is represented by a wax candle: Each lit candle represents a soul, and an extra one is placed for the forgotten soul.