Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday where families come together to honor family and friends that have died. It is believed that the souls of the dead return to visit the living on this day. Families celebrate the dead by visiting graveyards, cleaning graves, decorating the graves of loved ones, and by playing music at home and at the cemeteries. The Day of the Dead also includes traditional food such as chicken sprinkled with sesame seeds, tortillas, tamales made from ground corn and soft drinks. It is also very common for family members to leave flowers at their loved one’s graves. There are many flowers that are popular during Días De Los Muertos, but the most common flower is Marigolds. It is believed that the scent of the bright orange flowers help attract the souls to certain places to see their families.

The Day of the Dead dates back to over 3,000 years ago and originated in Mesoamerica (Mexico and Northern Central America). This holiday also combines Mesoamerican beliefs with Catholic teachings. Some examples on how the Catholics celebrate the Day of the Dead is they wear shells on their clothes, they also dance because they believe the noise wakes up the spirits. Dia de los Muertos takes place from the end of October to the beginning of November. 

On specific days, people celebrate different aspects of the Day of the Dead. For example, October 28th is the day of Accidentados which remembers the souls that died in accidents. October 31st is the day of Los Angelitos, the souls of the children. November 1st is the day for the adults. The spirits are then believed to depart on November 2nd.  

The Day of the Dead isn’t about mourning death, but rather a holiday that celebrates life. Many people get together and spend time with their families and loved ones. The Day of the Dead is celebrated to demonstrate your love to your deceased family members and your loved ones.