Day of the Dead 2023: Date, History, Activities, Significance

Day of the Dead 2023: Day of the Dead, also known as Día de los Muertos, is a popular Mexican holiday that takes place on November 2. People think that the souls of the dead come back to visit their living family members on this day. A lot of people honor the dead on this day by going to their graves and putting together altars with their favorite foods, drinks, and pictures.

This year, the Day of the Dead is on November 2. All Saints’ Day and The Day of the Children were on November 1, and this is the day after them.

HOW DAY OF THE DEAD CAME TO BE

For about 3,000 years, the ancient indigenous people of Mexico have held ceremonies to honor the lives of their elders. Before it became known as Day of the Dead, the celebration took place during the whole month of the ninth month on the Aztec calendar. In the 20th century, the month-long celebrations were boiled down to three days, which were called “The Days of the Dead.” These were Halloween on October 31, Day of the Innocents on November 1, and Day of the Dead on November 2.

A tall female skeleton with bright makeup and a fancy feathered hat is called La Catrina and is one of the most recognized Day of the Dead characters. The Aztecs believed that the Lady of Death would protect their dead loved ones and help them through the last steps of the life and death cycles. The controversial and political artist José Guadalupe Posada created La Catrina in the early 1900s. Diego Rivera, an artist and the husband of Frida Kahlo, used José’s La Catrina in one of his paintings that showed 400 years of Mexican history. The painting he called “Dreams of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park” shows him holding hands with a little girl and La Catrina, who is dressed up and wearing a fancy ruffled hat.

All year long, people make plans for Day of the Dead. People give toys to children who have died and alcohol or alote to people who have died. Most families use ofrendas to decorate the graves of their loved ones, and marigolds are often a part of them. People believe that the bright petals and strong scent of these flowers bring the souls of the dead to the offerings and help them find their way from the graveyard to their family’s home.

Dia de Muertos has been celebrated all over Mexico since the 1960s, when the government made it a state holiday to support educational policies. It was added to the Representative List of Humanity’s Intangible Cultural Heritage by the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in 2008.

HOW TO MARK THE DAY OF THE DEAD

Find out about Mexican life.

This holiday is a great chance to learn more about the rich history of the Mexican people. Find out more about their traditions and some of their most well-known events and celebrations.

Go to a local graveyard.

A lot of graves are full of sounds, smells, and images of holiday celebrations. You can enjoy the sights and sounds of this day even if you don’t have an altar. Just go to a community event in your area.

Have a Day of the Dead party at your house.

It’s important to spend this day with family and friends. Ask everyone who comes to your big dinner to bring a picture of a loved one who has died and put them all on a table. As you eat dinner, have each person at the table share a fun story about their loved one. Remember to keep things fun, happy, and lively.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DAY OF THE DEAD

You can remember your loved ones.

Even though death can be sad, the Day of the Dead helps us remember the good times we had with our loved ones.

In honor of the dead, altars are built.

No matter what shape or size they are, altars are all used to show respect and honor for a person who has died. Today is a good day to look through old toys, photos, letters, and other things that may be important to you emotionally.

People get along because of it.

The holiday is celebrated by Christians all over the country. A lot of people who have similar views and habits get together to celebrate the holiday.

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DAY OF THE DEAD DATES