History

Traditions

an offering to the dead , and they

Sources

The roots of the Day of the Dead ,

One of the most common traditions

are given out as treats .

https :// www . history . com / topics /

celebrated in contemporary Mexico and among those of Mexican heritage in the United States and around the world , go back some 3,000 years , to the rituals honoring the dead in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica .

In ancient Europe , pagan celebrations of the dead also took place in the fall , and consisted of bonfires , dancing and feasting . Some of these customs survived even after the rise of the Roman Catholic Church , which ( unofficially ) adopted them into their celebrations of two Catholic holidays , All Saints Day and All Souls Day , celebrated on the first two days of November . All Souls Day is celebrated widely in Italy on November 2nd as ‘ Giorno dei Morti ’.

of this holiday is the ofrenda , or altar , for past family members . These ofrendas are usually adorned with all types of items — food , photos , personal items , Day of the Dead flowers — to welcome past family members after their long journey .

As part of the tradition , families visit cemeteries where their loved ones are buried to clean and decorate their gravestones with candles and marigolds . Families will gather to share a meal and tell stories at the gravesite , in addition to bringing objects that were meaningful to the deceased .

The calavera ( or skull ) is a central image of Día de Muertos , and one key element of every celebration is the sugar skull . These decorative candies are placed on the ofrenda as

Current Day This holiday is celebrated for two days . Modern observances of the tradition refer to November 1st as Día de Inocentes (“ Day of the Innocents ”) or Día de Angelitos (“ Day of the Little Angels ”), honoring children and babies who were lost . November 2nd is celebrated as the day of Adults .

Did you know that there is a Dia De Muertos Barbie collection ? Mattel released this Barbie collection back in 2019 and showcases a new Barbie for it every year ! The description as written on the Mattel website says , “ The Barbie Día De Muertos series honors the customs , symbols , and rituals often seen throughout the festive time of remembrance .”

halloween / day-of-the-dead _ https :// www . goodhousekeeping . com / holidays / a40545924 / whenis-day-of-the-dead / _ https :// creations . mattel . com / products / 2023-dia-de-muertosbarbie-doll-hjx14

14 LakeTalk November 2023