I am sure you have seen, or perhaps at least have heard of the movie Coco. We love this movie. It depicts the culture of Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico so well. The Mexican family, the alebrijes, the altars, the food, the desire to see your loved ones again.
Dia De Los Muertos is celebrated on November 1st. This holiday celebrates and honors the dead rather than mourns. It is thought that this holiday originated with the Aztecs through festivals in honor of the Goddess Mictecuacihuatl, the goddess of the underworld. This Goddess today is portrayed as the Catrina.
The holiday also originated in Southern Mexico. Until the 20th Century, did the holiday finally make its way to the northern regions of Mexico. The strong holds of Catholicism in the Northern parts of Mexico prohibited the celebration of this Holiday. They limited their celebrations to All Saints Day.
Many families create ofrendas (altars) in honor of their deceased loved ones. These altars generally have a picture of the dead, their favorite foods and drinks. These altars also have candles and fruits. The altars are also colorful full of flowers either real or made out of paper mache.
Another major element of Dia de Los Muertos is Papel Picado. It is very thin tissue paper cut into silhouettes of skulls, flowers, and other images that reflect the life of the person being remembered and celebrated.
This year, we are looking forward to celebrating the dead. We will be honoring our families that have passed, our pets, and our friends. Who will you be honoring?