Día de los Muertos is not just about elaborate face printing & skull shaped sugar cookies (@starbucks). @USAToday published a great article titled, No, Día de los Muertos isn't 'Mexican Halloween' and @abc7la shared some beautiful photos on IG using the #abc7diadelosmuertos Here’s some main points from No, Día de los Muertos isn't 'Mexican Halloween’: #themoreyou know Día de los Muertos is a three-day event starting on Oct. 31 All Hallows Eve, All Saints' Day (a Catholic celebration commemorating saints and martyrs) on Nov. 1, All Souls Day (honoring all the Christian departed) on Nov. 2. Día de los Muertos is about remembering lost loved ones. A time to celebrate their memories vs. mourn their loss. From Oct. 31 to Nov 2. people across Mexico clean relatives' graves and decorate them with bright flowers (typically marigolds) candles and things the deceased loved in life (food, coffee, alcohol and tobacco are common). They stay overnight in the cemetery and hold a vigil at their loved one's grave. It is also very common to have an elaborately decorated altar in the home, known as an ofrendas. The ofrendas incorporates reminders of the deceased loved one, including photographs and the things the person loved. "For Mexicans, foreigners, and peoples of Mexican descent, the holiday has come to symbolize Mexico and Mexicaness," said Stanley Brandes, a professor of anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. "It is a key symbol of national identity." -So to truly celebrate Día de los Muertos take the time to celebrate your deceased loved ones. Cook and share their favorite meals with friends, visit their grave or favorite place, share stories about them, read their favorite books, or practice their favorite hobby! #diadelosmuertos #witandreason #culturalawareness #ofrendas #Mexicaness #Catholic #Christian #AllSoulsDay (at Wit & Reason)
