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El Día de los Muertos - FAQ

Trinity Jones, October 2021

El Día de los Muertos -- The Day of the Dead. A two-day Mexican holiday spanning from November 1st to November 2nd, Día de los Muertos is spent honoring and remembering lost loved ones. On this day, it’s believed that the barrier between the spirit world and physical world dissolves, allowing their souls to come back for a day and to dance, feast, and celebrate. People build ofrendas, or offerings, for the dead, displaying their favorite foods, pictures of them, candles, and cempasúchils (Aztec marigolds) to help guide them back home for the holiday. People also make calaveras de azúcar (sugar skulls) and pan de muertos (bread of the dead).
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Is it one or two days?

​You might hear people say “the Day of the Dead” when talking about this holiday, but in actuality, it’s two days. The first day, November 1st, is el Día de los Angeles,
or the day of the angels. This day celebrates children who have passed on. The second day is called All Souls Day, and it celebrates adults. 
​
Who’s that one skeleton lady?

The skeleton woman who you see a lot when researching the holiday is La Catrina, who is believed to protect those who have passed on to the afterlife. She was first painted by Jose Guadalupe Posada, a Mexican painter, and has since become a widely known symbol for the Day of the Dead. 
Is it a happy or sad holiday?

Día de los Muertos, though centered around the dead, is actually meant to be a celebration of life and death. When we think of death, it’s usually a sad affair, but on the Day of the Dead, it’s supposed to be more like a party than anything. (For reference, see Coco. It was pretty accurate by comparison.) Like I mentioned before, this holiday is supposed to welcome your loved ones’ souls back to the physical world for them to dance and feast, so it’d be pretty gloomy if everyone was mourning rather than celebrating alongside them. 
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Is it celebrated in countries other than Mexico? Do other countries celebrate similar holidays?

Yes, Día de los Muertos is celebrated in countries other than Mexico. It is celebrated in other Latin countries, and Mexican people living in other countries celebrate it as well. People of other ethnicities can celebrate it too, but it’s important to remember that this is a holiday deeply rooted in Mexican culture, so before celebrating it, you should have an understanding of said culture and the significance of the holiday within it. Performative celebration to appeal to the masses, or using it solely to make money, is appropriation. 

As for similar holidays, there is the Chinese Festival of the Hungry Ghost, the Japanese Buddhist festival Obon, Chuseok, which is celebrated in North and South Korea, Thursday of the Dead, celebrated by Muslims and Christians, and All Souls Day, a traditional Roman-Catholic holiday. These holidays celebrate the dead and are deeply cultural. They’re also pretty interesting to read up on!
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I hope I answered a few of your questions about Los Días De Los Muertos! Let me know of any other things that I may have left out!

Trinity Jones

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  • Home
    • Women's History Month >
      • Books Written by Women
      • women are amazing
      • A Celebration Of Women's Achievements
      • Anonymous Stories: Women’s History Month
    • Hispanic Heritage Month >
      • Hispanic Heritage Month
      • Top 5 Books for Hispanic Heratige Month
      • El Día de los Muertos - FAQ
      • Mexican Independence Day
      • Hispanic Artists
      • Hispanic Authors
    • PODCAST >
      • Love & Dating
      • All Things Black History
    • Teacher's Corner >
      • Teacher's Corner: Gordon
      • Teacher's Corner: Ejzak
      • Teacher's Corner: David
      • Teacher's Corner: Wilde
    • Sports/Clubs
    • Student Businesses
    • Resources >
      • LGBTQ+ Resources
    • Black History Month Collection >
      • Angelica Dass: The Nature of Color
      • How Coraline Could Be So Much Creepier
      • Chicago's Historian, My Father
      • Top 3 Black Artists
      • Pain For Profit
      • Black Historical Figures
      • HALLOWEEN ARTICLES >
        • Where's All The Halloween Spirit?
        • Op-Eds >
          • The white Christmas Ideology
          • FUN & QUIRKY CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD
          • The Hanukkah Games
          • Next Generation of A-List Hollywood Stars
          • Juice WRLD: A Celebration of Life
          • High School's Personal Hell: Finals
          • Why Eggnog?
        • Why Hocus Pocus Is The Best Halloween Movie
        • An Overanalysis Of The Nightmare Before Christmas
        • The History of Halloween
        • BROOKS TOP 5: Movies and Horror Games
        • HOW TO WRITE THE PERFECT HORROR
        • The Quarry: Game Review
        • Game Review: Outlast 2
        • Who's the Ghoulest of Them All?
        • Game Review: Silent Hill
      • Hiding Behind the Strength
    • This Month >
      • Media Reviews >
        • Why Princess Bubblegum Isn't A Bad Person
        • Crazy Rich Asians: Movie vs Book Review
        • Why Craig of The Creek is the Best Children's Show
        • GOD OF WAR Review
        • Watch Interview with the Vampire
        • Top 5 Classic Christmas Movies IMO/BROOKS OPINION
        • Tokyo Godfathers is a Weird, Wonderful Christmas Gem
        • Top 10 Videogame Soundtracks
      • Location Reviews >
        • Daisy's Po-Boy & Tavern
      • Sports Panel >
        • Brooks Men's Varsity Basketball: Analysis
      • CREATIVE WRITING >
        • You Make Me Anxious
        • Valdrá La Pena Para Ti
        • Cooking Corner >
          • Brioche >
            • Featured articles >
              • What Makes Wednesday's Dance so Iconic
              • An Overanalysis On Wednesday Characters
          • Pizzelles
          • Sicilian Christmas Cookies
          • No-Bake Cheesecake
          • Tiramisu
          • pozole
  • Meet Us
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