To non Mexicans, the Day of the Dead festivities may sound rather macabre, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact this festival demonstrates the average Mexicans love and respect for their ancestors and dearly departed.
It
all stems from the ancient indigenous peoples of Mexico, who believed
that the souls of the dead return each year to visit with their living
relatives - to eat, drink and be merry. The event is held in graveyards
across Mexico, allowing people to commune with deceased family members,
not in a somber fashion, but with a joyful sense of reunion.
Deceased children (known as little angels)
are remembered on November 1st (All Saints' Day), while adults are remembered
on November 2nd (All Souls' Day). During the previous week, vendors set
up stalls selling sugar candies in the shape of skeletons, skulls, coffins
and tombs. Families create altars in their homes, with flowers, candles,
religious amulets and photographs of the dead.
Adult graves are adorned with offerings of the deceased's favorite possessions, foods, alcohol or cigarettes, and are profusely decorated with colorful flowers, particularly marigolds, which are believed to guide the spirits of loved ones home. Children's graves have toys placed upon them, and are covered with colorful streamers and balloons.
