An illustrated guide to Dia de los Muertos

Day of the Dead, also known as Dia de los Muertos, is often mistaken for the “Mexican Halloween” due to its use of skeletons and celebration. This three-day Aztec festival in late October, which has its roots in southern Mexico, honors the memory of deceased family members, friends and even pets.

Popular Day of the Dead symbols appear in late October, including brightly colored paper flowers and face painting. But do you know the different parts of an ofrenda, the traditional altar or the meaning of sugar skulls on Dia de los Muertos?

The Day of the Dead is mainly celebrated in Mexico and Central America and has made its way to several cities in the US. Read on to discover more about the traditions of this holiday:

Holidays for the Day of the Dead

The celebration of the Day of the Dead begins October 31 and ends on November 2. The combination of the indigenous death cult and ritual rituals with Catholicism brought it from Europe. The custom of inviting deceased loved ones home for a day is a way to honor their lives and accept what will happen after death.

Traditions of an Ofrenda

Food, flowers and altars are necessary parts of the celebration. To honor the deceased, foods such as sugar skulls, sweetbread rolls and drinks are arranged on ofrendas (house altars), along with clay ornaments and sentimental objects. Whether at the cemetery itself or at a table at home, relatives believe their loved ones will feast on the ‘essence’ of their offered treats.

What the ofrenda sacrifices symbolize

Where does the use of skeletons come from?

Skeletons are the most iconic representations of the Day of the Dead. Nowadays people dress up in ornate costumes with skull faces. A playful representation of life after death is a skeleton.

One of the many famous images of the Day of the Dead, La Calavera Catrinawhich translates to ‘elegant skull’, first appeared in 1910 as a skeletal figure wearing an elaborate outfit. In Mexico, satirical artist José Guadalupe Posada was the first to draw her figure. It was intended as a mocking reminder to those aspiring to social and political prominence that all humans are essentially nothing more than bundles of bones.

Alebrijes: Even the dead need a spiritual guide

Pedro Linaresan artist from Mexico City, introduced the celebration in 1936 to colorful, mythical creatures known as Alebrijes. With exaggerated bodies with stripes and dots, they are considered creatures from our dreams and the realm of the dead. They are usually made of paper mache or wood.

The basic meaning of the Day of the Dead celebration has not changed over thousands of years, despite evolving traditions. This holiday serves as a time to honor and celebrate those who have departed this life, while also presenting death as an inevitable part of life.

SOURCE DayofheDead.holiday/history, History.comThe University of New Mexico, Britannica.com and USA TODAY investigation