Behind the Headlines – World Book Student
  • Search

  • Archived Stories

    • Ancient People
    • Animals
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Business & Industry
    • Civil rights
    • Conservation
    • Crime
    • Current Events
    • Current Events Game
    • Disasters
    • Economics
    • Education
    • Energy
    • Environment
    • Food
    • Government & Politics
    • Health
    • History
    • Holidays/Celebrations
    • Law
    • Lesson Plans
    • Literature
    • Medicine
    • Military
    • Military Conflict
    • Natural Disasters
    • People
    • Plants
    • Prehistoric Animals & Plants
    • Race Relations
    • Recreation & Sports
    • Religion
    • Science
    • Space
    • Technology
    • Terrorism
    • Weather
    • Women
    • Working Conditions
  • Archives by Date

« Namibia’s Skeleton Coast
40 Years Ago: the Iran Hostage Crisis »

Día de los Muertos

November 1, 2019

Today, November 1, as people digest the sweets collected on Halloween, many people begin another celebration: the Day of the Dead, or día de los muertos. As the name implies, the traditionally Mexican holiday honors the dead. The holiday is also celebrated in other Latin American countries and in Mexican American communities. During día de los muertos (or simply día de muertos), families gather in churches, at cemeteries, and in homes to pray for and remember deceased loved ones.

Día de los muertos is a Mexican holiday that honors the dead. Día de los muertos is Spanish for day of the dead. The holiday is usually celebrated on November 2, but in some communities, the dead are remembered over several days, including November 1. In this photograph, a family in Patzcuaro, Mexico, decorates the graves of deceased family members with flowers. Credit: © Henry Romero, Reuters

A family in Patzcuaro, Mexico, decorates the graves of deceased family members on Día de los muertos. Credit: © Henry Romero, Reuters

Día de los muertos is usually celebrated on November 1 and 2. Those days are the Roman Catholic feasts of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. The celebration combines ancient native beliefs and Catholic traditions. Many families prepare an elaborate altar, known as an ofrenda (offering), for the holiday. They set up the ofrendas in their homes and in cemeteries. The ofrendas are decorated with flowers, fruits, popular foods, sweets, and drinks. They are created to welcome back for a day the souls of departed family members and friends. Special creations such as calaveras (sugar skulls) and sweet pan de muerto (bread of the dead) are popular treats. Day of the dead food, decorations, and costumes traditionally incorporate skulls, skeletons, and other symbols of death.

The day of the dead reinforces the ancient belief that death is a part of life. It is an important tradition through which families pass on their oral histories. Recalling stories of past family members helps keep these ancestors alive for future generations.

Tags: all souls day, Día de los muertos, halloween, holiday, latin america, mexico, roman catholicism


  • Most Popular Tags

    african americans al-qa`ida ancient greece archaeology art australia barack obama baseball bashar al-assad china climate change conservation donald trump earthquake european union france global warming iraq isis japan language monday literature major league baseball mars mexico monster monday moon mythic monday mythology nasa new york city nobel prize presidential election russia space space exploration syria syrian civil war Terrorism tornado ukraine united kingdom united states vladimir putin world war ii