# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Day of the Dead - LEARN ABOUT!  Tica's Travels - Nani Nani Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Colette Hicks' Day of the Dead Digital Story

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I created this Digital Story for my art classes to start our unit on The Day of the Dead. That way they can get a taste of the culture.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
(SCHOOL FRIENDLY) What is El Dia De Los Muertos? by Eddie G!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Day of the Dead Celebration (Celebracion Dia de los Muertos) | Muy Bueno

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In honor of El Dia de los Muertos, our intern, Lauren Benichou made this short film (her very first) about making sugar skulls. The Making Of... is a new series about what people make in the Bay Area and why. Produced by The Kitchen Sisters & KQED, in collaboration with AIR and Zeega.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to make Papel Picado for Day of the Dead - Dia de los Muertos!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
24 · ·

Though Día de los Muertos is a holiday celebrated in Mexico, the changing landscape of the United States means that a lot more people are celebrating Day of the Dead outside of Mexico, too.

According to a study released in 2012 by the Pew Hispanic Center about Hispanic origin profiles of those living in the United States (whether U.S. born or foreign born), people with Mexican ancestry or who are Mexican by birth make up nearly 65 percent of all Hispanics in the U.S.

In 2013, a third of Mexicans in the United States were foreign-born, while 42 percent of immigrants from Mexico have been in the U.S. for more than 20 years. About 26 percent of Mexican immigrants were U.S. citizens.

Of course, this makes me happy because it means there are a lot of people like us who are looking to stay connected to their heritage whether by food, culture or traveling to Mexico (or at least reading about it). Here's a guide with information on who celebrates this holiday in the United States, and how they celebrate it.

WHAT GOES ON AN ALTAR?

RELATED: How to make sugar skulls for Day of the Dead

Recipes for Day of the Dead

Activities for Day of the Dead

Who celebrates Day of the Dead in the U.S., and why?

Golin, a worldwide public relations agency, conducted a nationwide survey of Hispanic adults in 2012 looking at who celebrates this holiday in the United States, why, and how they celebrate.

Here are their findings:

28 percent of the people surveyed said they celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

The top three ways in which people celebrate this holiday include buying or baking pan de muerto (25 percent), visiting a cemetery (21 percent) and building an altar (17 percent).

The top five reasons why people said they celebrate Day of the Dead include family togetherness (52 percent), maintaining traditions (51 percent), the food associated with the traditions (46 percent), teaching the traditions to their children (39 percent) and having the ability to share the best of both worlds of their Latino and American heritage (37 percent).

Where are people celebrating Día de los Muertos? Of those surveyed, 37 percent lived in the West, 29 percent in the Northeast, 27 percent in the Midwest and 21 percent in the South of the United States.

24

Cultura/Culture, "altar de muertos", "pan de muerto", altar, Day of the Dead, Día de Los Muertos, ofrenda Day of The Dead, Holidays

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
24 · · According to a study released in 2012 by the Pew Hispanic Center about Hispanic origin profiles of those living in the United States (whether U.S. born or foreign born), people with Mexican ancestry or who are Mexican by birth make up nearly 65 percent of all Hispanics in the U.S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A look at the preparations and the celebration of the Day of the Dead in Oaxaca and surrounding communities in south central Mexico.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Day of the Dead is a family event to remember ancestors, whose spirits visit the earth once a year. This concept of the cycle or circle of life is a strong tradition with many native and indigenous peoples worldwide.

This cyclic view fused with Catholicism's All Souls Day on Nov. 2 and All Saints Day on Nov. 1 to become Day (or Days) of the Dead. In a society without written family trees, celebrants tell stories to their children, and not just the big events, but anecdotal stories and personal details.

As harvest festivals both fall at the same time of the year, but el Dia de Los Muertos is not scary. It's reflective, but not sad.

Altars are set up Oct. 30 and 31. In homes, tables are covered with flowers, fruits, vegetables, candles, incense, statues of saints, photos of the deceased. The sky is represented by a sheet or strings of paper cutouts.

The foods are eaten (or given away) by the living later, after their essence has been consumed.

Common food for altars

So what foods are made?

You want to provide the spirits with things they loved in life, including favorite foods such as moles and tamales, which are normally made for special occasions.

Toys, not-so-spicy foods and candies would be provided on la ofrenda, or separate miniature altars might be made for them with small cups, saucers, and even miniature pan de muerto for souls of children.

Sweet, egg-rich "bread of the dead" (pan de muerto) is one of the constants of Dia de Los Muertos, although it varies regionally.

In some places in Mexico, sugar skulls are treats for children during Dia de Los Muertos, sometimes with names written on them.

Another thing often on the altar are traditional liquors. Alcoholic mescal and pulque, and atole, a corn drink, are pre-European. A glass of water is also essential, because after the journey here, the souls are thirsty and pretty tired. Atole, a thick beverage with nourishing qualities, is still used in remote communities.

Chocolate also often appears, sometimes in drinks, as does pumpkin candy, made from huge green Mexican pumpkins grown expressly for this purpose. In pre-Hispanic times, according to Patricia Quintana in Mexico's Feasts of Life, candied pumpkin was originally sweetened with honey or the sap extracted from the maguey plant.

DAY OF THE DEAD: Landing page | 2016 events | Where to shop for Dia de los Muertos | History | Crafts | Recipes | For teachers and students

Dia de los Muertos recipes

Check out and try your hand at some of the food traditionally served or displayed during the Day of the Dead celebrations.
Recipe: Pan de muerto (bread of the dead) Recipe: Agua de jamaica (hibiscus flower water) Recipe: Agua de tamarindo (tamarind water) Recipe: Horchata (drink) Recipe: Caramel flan Recipe: Sopaipillas Recipe: Calabaza en tacha (candied pumpkin) Recipe: Blue corn enchiladas Recipe: Chalupa Recipe: Chicken in pipian sauce Recipe: Tinga poblana de pollo (Mexican stew) Recipe: Posole (white) Recipe: Posole (red) Recipe: Mole poblano Recipe: Creamed corn/cheese tamale filling Recipe: Sweetened bean tamale filling Recipe: Shrimp tamale filling Recipe: Chicken tamale filling Recipe: Red chile and pork tamale filling Recipe: Masa (tamale dough) from scratch Steps to making a tamale
MORE AZCENTRAL ON SOCIAL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Read or Share this story: http://azc.cc/1phItNY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Day of the Dead festival begins with food

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Day of the Dead is a family event to remember ancestors, whose spirits visit the earth once a year. This concept of the cycle or circle of life is a strong tradition with many native and indigenous peoples worldwide. This cyclic view fused with Catholicism's All Souls Day on Nov.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ofrenda de Día de Muertos // Day of the Dead Offering

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
English: I'm a Mexican girl who is proud of her roots, bearer of big celebrations such as the Day of the Dead, an important date that belongs to our great Mexican culture.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These are a few particular foods that are traditionally associated with the Day of the Dead season in Mexico. These dishes are prepared and eaten at this time of year, and also placed on altars as offerings for the spirits who, it is believed, visit their loved ones on this one day of the year and consume the essence of the foods that are laid out for them. After the holiday has passed, the living ​dismantle the altar and may eat whatever foods remain, although these are said to have lost much of their flavor because the dead have already consumed the essential part of it. This holiday is a mixture of Catholic and native Mesoamerican beliefs and customs, and the foods that are associated with the holiday developed out of a combination of those different traditions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Traditional Mexican Day of the Dead Dishes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about the history and meaning of some of the foods that are associated with the Day of the Dead season in Mexico.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Global Wonders: Mexico "Day of the Dead"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
www.GlobalWonders.com New Children's DVD Series Global Wonders: Mexico Available at Amazon.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is Day of the Dead?

The Mexican celebration of Day of the Dead is far from a lugubrious ritual of ancestor worship or veneration; it is, rather, a yearly commemoration of-and opportunity for fellowship with-the spirits of deceased family members and friends.

Known in Spanish as el Dia de Muertos (colloquially shortened to Muertos in everyday conversation), it is actually a celebration that lasts at least two days.

November 1 is All Saints Day in the Catholic Church, and this is when deceased children are honored and remembered. November 2, All Souls Day, is for the remembrance of the adult dead.

How is Day of the Dead Celebrated in Mexico?

Present-day Muertos, celebrated mostly in central and southern Mexico where the indigenous influence is strongest, is a rich mixture of pre-Hispanic and Catholic elements. The original inhabitants of the lands that now make up Mexico remembered their dead at a different time of the year; with their domination by the Spanish, the date was changed to the beginning of November and many motifs were added.

Learn more about Day of the Dead history

Though the occasion falls near the date of American Halloween, Mexican Muertos is not at all scary, spooky or somber. The day can be bittersweet, reflective, playful, or cheerful-and is frequently all of these at once.

People often visit cemeteries at this time, cleaning and adorning the tombs of their dearly departed. Vendors set up stands in plazas and around in the vicinity of cemeteries to sell decorations and flowers for the gravesites, as well as food and candy for the living. Local bands wander around, ready to be hired to play music for the deceased and their families.

The atmosphere is festive.

The spirits of the deceased are thought to pay a visit to the living every year at Día de Muertos, and their families prepare an altar, or table of welcome, for them in the home.

The Day of the Dead Altar

Days or even weeks before Muertos, a prominent space in each family's house is cleaned up and the usual furniture is removed to make room for the altar. The altar consists of, at a minimum, a covered table or clearly demarcated space on the floor; often a few crates or boxes are added to it and covered to create open shelves and other raised display areas.

The altar coverings can be made of cloth, paper, plastic, or natural materials, and vary widely from plain white to vibrant colors and intricate patterns. The main colors of the season are bright purple, pink, orange, and yellow.

The altar table is set with ofrendas (offerings) for the spirits of the beloved deceased who will be visiting.

Collective altars, the work of many people who donate their time, talent, and goods, are often also set up in public buildings or plazas, schools, and work places.

Learn how to make a Day of the Dead altar

Las Ofrendas

The traditional offerings placed on the altar for Muertos vary from place to place, but usually consist of some or all of the following:

Candles, often one for each family member being remembered.

Photographs of the deceased.

Flowers, especially bright yellow-orange (a species of marigold), which is the flower most associated with this day. Other flowers, usually purple and white, are also common.

Papel picado, traditional cut tissue paper decorations, in bright colors.

Incense or copal, a resin that produces an aromatic smoke when burned.

Skulls (calaveras) or full skeletons, made from paper mache, clay, or an edible substance such as sugar, chocolate, or amaranth. Learn how to make sugar skulls. -- Learn more about

Fruits, vegetables, grains, and prepared foods such as pan de muerto (bread), candied pumpkin, mole, and/or the favorite dishes of the dearly departed. Learn about Day of the Dead food.

Religious items such as crucifixes, rosaries, and statues or pictures of saints (especially ones to which the deceased were devoted). Flowers, candles, fruits, and other items are also often placed in the shape of a cross.

Objects symbolizing the four elements of nature: earth, wind, water, and fire. These are represented by movable or light-weight items such as papel picado (wind,) a bowl of water, candles (fire) and food (crops, earth.)

Items the traveling spirit can use to clean up after the journey, such as a wash basin, water, soap, and razors.

Personal belongings for each person and any other objects the deceased may enjoy, such as a toy (for a child) or a pack of cigarettes and bottle of tequila.

Edited by

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
So Exactly What Is Mexico's Day of the Dead?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Mexican celebration of Day of the Dead is far from a lugubrious ritual of ancestor worship or veneration; it is, rather, a yearly commemoration of-and opportunity for fellowship with-the spirits of deceased family members and friends. Known in Spanish as el Dia de Muertos (colloquially shortened to Muertos in everyday conversation), it is actually a celebration that lasts at least two days.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Reading is Succeeding. Read along with me. Explore new books every week. Johnston, Tony, and Jeanette Winter. "Day of the Dead". San Diego: Harcourt Brace, 1997. Print.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skeletons are scary, right? Not if you're celebrating Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

REMEMBERING RELATIVES

Day of the Dead combines the ancient Aztec custom of celebrating ancestors with All Souls' Day, a holiday that Spanish invaders brought to Mexico starting in the early 1500s.

The holiday, which is celebrated mostly in Mexico on November 1 and 2, is like a family reunion-except dead ancestors are the guests of honor. Day of the Dead is a joyful time that helps people remember the deceased and celebrate their memory.

TREATS FOR THE DECEASED

First, people set up a candlelit altar in their homes so spirits can find their way back to their relatives. The altar also offers some of the favorite foods of the deceased-just in case they get hungry. Items that were important to the ancestors when they were alive, such as a favorite book or musical instrument, are placed on the altar as well.

Then it's off to the graveyard for a big party. Families bring a huge feast to eat while they clean tombstones, sing songs, and talk to their ancestors. Parents might even introduce a baby to a grandparent who died before the baby was born.

FUNNY BONES

And don't forget the skeletons. During Day of the Dead, life-size papier-mâché skeletons and miniature plastic or clay skeletons are everywhere. Why? Mexicans honor their ancestors on Day of the Dead, but they're also reminding themselves that death is just a part of life. Hanging out with skeletons reminds people that one day they will be skeletons-but not for a very long time!

The skeletons are posed doing all sorts of wacky things, such as playing guitar, taking a bath, or making tortillas. Apparently people aren't the only ones who get to have fun on Day of the Dead!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skeletons are scary, right? Not if you're celebrating Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Day of the Dead combines the ancient Aztec custom of celebrating ancestors with All Souls' Day, a holiday that Spanish invaders brought to Mexico starting in the early 1500s.