10 Interesting Facts about Dia de Los Muertos

If you love to travel around the world and watch some countries’ celebrations, then you should first read these following facts about Dia de Los Muertos for your reference. Dia de Los Muertos is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings on family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It’s particularly celebrated in Mexico and takes dates from October 31st to November 2nd. To get to know more about this celebration, here are some other facts about Dia de Los Muertos you may like.

Facts about Dia de Los Muertos 1: Aztec Holiday

This celebration originated 3,000 years ago with the Aztecs, who had annual ceremonies, not to mourn, but to honor the deceased and to welcome the temporary return of their spirits. When the Spanish conquistadors conquered the Aztec Empire in the early 1500’s, they brought with them Catholicism, hence All Souls and All Saints Day, which were their own answers to honoring the dead.

Facts about Dia de Los Muertos 2: Altar Offerings

One of the things family and friends do on this holiday is build altars to welcome the spirits of the deceased. Laid out on top of the altars are offerings for the dead, such as candles, incense, marigolds, fresh fruits, photos of the departed, and things they enjoyed while they were alive.

Facts about Dia de Los Muertos 3: Three-day Fiesta

The three-day fiesta filled with marigolds, the flowers of the dead; “muertos”(the bread of the dead); sugar skulls; cardboard skeletons; tissue paper decorations; fruit and nuts; incense, and other traditional foods and decorations.

Facts about Dia de Los Muertos 4: Stuff

People go to cemeteries to be with the souls of the departed and build private altars containing the favorite foods and beverages, as well as photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them.

Facts about Dia de Los Muertos 5: Guatemalan Celebration

Guatemalan celebrations of the Dia de Los Muertos are highlighted by the construction and flying of giant kites in addition to the traditional visits to grave sites of ancestors. A big event also is the consumption of fiambre, which is made only for this day during the year.

Facts about Dia de Los Muertos 6: European Celebration

In many countries with a Roman Catholic heritage All Saints Day and All Souls Day have long been holidays in which people take the day off work, go to cemeteries with candles and flowers, and give presents to children, usually sweets and toys.

Facts about Dia de Los Muertos 7: Sugar Skulls

Sugar skulls are kind of like the mascot of Dia de Los Muertos. They are a symbol of death and afterlife, and are often used to decorate altars. They are also given as gifts on this holiday, especially to kids. Besides being incredibly adorable, they’re easy to make at home using a mold or simply your hands.

Facts about Dia de Los Muertos 8: Bread of the Dead

There’s no Dia de Los Muertos celebration is complete without bread of the dead (pan de muerto). It’s a sweet, egg-based bread usually containing the herb anise, and made during the weeks leading up to the holiday. The bread can be baked in different shapes such as skulls, bones, flowers, and animals, and is often eaten at the altar.

Facts about Dia de Los Muertos 9: Wings of Butterflies

While the fall is the season for Día de Muertos, it’s also when monarch butterflies arrive in Mexico. Legend has it that the butterflies are the souls of the deceased returning to earth. It’s kind of beautiful image for such a creepy occurrence.

Facts about Dia de Los Muertos 10: Similar Tradition

Many other cultures around the world have similar traditions of a day set aside to visit the graves of deceased family members. Often included in these traditions are celebrations, food and beverages, in addition to prayers and remembrances of the departed. Some tribes of the Amazon believe the dead return as flowers.

Those following facts about Dia de Los Muertos would probably expand your knowledge about how interesting the celebration is. For those who have watched this celebration once might have came back a year later to watch it again, right? Hope this Dia de Los Muertos facts would be really interesting and useful for you to read.