Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead honors the dead with festivals and lively celebrations, a typically Latin American custom that combines indigenous Aztec ritual with Catholicism, imposed on the region by the Spanish conquistadors. 

First of all, it's important to distinguish All Saints' Day, celebrated on November 1, from All Souls' Day, a Catholic feast day on which the Church celebrates all saints, both known and unknown.

The Day of the Dead, on the other hand, is celebrated on November 2. Catholics celebrate their dead by planting flowers on their graves and praying for the salvation of their souls. But the dead are celebrated differently in different countries and religions. In Mexico, the Day of the Dead is a genuine festival marking the temporary return to earth of deceased loved ones. The Day of the Dead celebrates the life of the deceased with food, drink, parties and activities that the dead enjoyed in life. Día de los Muertos recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience, a continuum with birth, childhood and growing up to become an active member of the community. On Dí a de los Muertos, the dead are also part of the community, awakened from their eternal slumber to share the celebrations with their loved ones.