Posted submitted by Ella, one of our Student Experience Ambassadors
The Day of the Dead (el Dìa de los Muertos) is a Mexican holiday during which families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives. This brief reunion between past and present family members includes food, drink and celebration.
The celebration runs over three days: 31st October, which marks Hallowe’en, and 1st-2nd November which is when the main celebrations take place. It is believed that on 31st October the gates to heaven open at midnight, allowing the spirits of children to rejoin their families for 24 hours on the day of 1st November. The adult spirits reunite with their family the following day.
During el Dìa de los Muertos celebrations, the awakened souls of the dead are treated as the guests of honour. The living family members leave the deceased’s favourite foods and other gifts at gravesites or on the ofrendas, which are often decorated with candles and flowers, built in their homes. Symbols of skulls and skeletons are found everywhere with people typically wearing skull masks and life-size papier mâché skeletons often decorate the streets!
This Mexican celebration ultimately helps families to remember and honour the deceased, celebrating their memory.
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