El Dia de Los Muertos is the celebration
of death. Unlike our American culture,
many Central American cultures believe
death to be the beginning of a new life.
Deceased souls are reborn in in another
world.
 Those who celebrate the day often wear
wooden masks known as calacas or
sugar masks with a deceased relative’s
name made into the forehead.
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On November 1st and 2nd, El Dia de Los
Angelitos and El Dia de los Muertos are
celebrated, respectively.
 El Dia de Los Angelitos honors the departed
souls of children as opposed departed adults.
These days coordinate with the Catholic All
Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
 The day is also meant to honor the Aztec
goddess Mictecacihuati, the Lady of the
Dead, who was said to have died at birth.
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Peoples all across Central America have
celebrated El Dia de Los Muertos for
3,000 years.
 Aztecs were practitioners of the day and
withstood Spanish attempts to eradicate
the holiday.
 Aztecs and other Meso-Americans wore
frightening calacas and kept the skulls of
the deceased in their honor.
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Because of the apparent sacrilege and
mocking of death involved in El Dia de Los
Muertos, Spaniards long ago attempted to
remove the day from existence, but the will of
the Central American natives was too strong.
Prior to Spanish intervention, the holiday was
traditionally celebrated throughout the entire
9th month on the Aztec Solar Calendar, which
aligns with modern-day August.
Though they failed to end the celebration, the
Spaniards were still able to align the holiday
with All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.
Today, many of those
who celebrate attend
the graves of the
deceased to bring
offerings of all kinds
ranging from clothes to
food or drinks.
 Sugar skulls are made
and eaten by relatives of
the deceased as a form
of honoring them.
 Calaveras and catrinas
are often made in honor
of the Mexican illustrator
José Guadalupe
Posada.

The celebration has also reach parts of
the United States today. While the whole
country dos not readily recognize it,
much of the southwest participates in
the festivities.
 Great parties and festivities are held in
memory and respect of those who have
passed on, in the hopes that their new
lives are better than their first lives.

This delicious, sugary
treat is a staple in the
celebration of El Dia de
Los Muertos. Essentially a
loaf of bread covered in
sugar, it’s difficult to go
wrong with the tasty
snack on a day for
festivities.
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http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/
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http://diadelosmuertos.us/article/day-ofthe-dead