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Halloween es el treinta y uno de octubre. El Día de los Muertos es el primero y dos de noviembre. Mientras Halloween es usado atterorizar, el Día de los Muertos es usado celebrar las personas muertas. Niños llevan disfrazes para Halloween. Ellos no los llevan para el Día de los Muertos. Para Halloween, muchas personas tallan las calabazas hacer una lámpara de calabaza. Para, el Día de los Muertos, muchas personas hacen una ofrenda para su familia muerta. Las personas que celebran Halloween tienen miedo de los muertos, pero las personas que celebran el Día de los muertos honoran los muertos y no tienen miedo de los muertos.

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Day of the Dead (or Dia de los Muertos, in Spanish)is a Mexican traditional holiday that honors ancestors, family members, and friends who have passed away. The holiday takes place on November 1, in connection with the Catholic holiday of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day (November 2). Day of the Dead falls closely to Halloween, but is celebrated on a larger scale-Mexicans embrace it as a festive occasion.

Though both of these holidays have combined with Catholicism, they are very different. Celebrations of Halloween come from the idea that the dead are to be feared; children wear costumes as protection and jack-o-lanterns are supposed to ward off evil spirits.

By contrast, in Day of the Dead celebrations, the spirits of departed loved ones are welcomed into the home and cemeteries. Death is portrayed as something natural and normal.

At home, people assemble little altars, stocked with the departed loved ones favorite foods and drinks, their photos, candles, and pungent marigolds, a flower long associated with death.

You do not need to be Mexican or Catholic to honor your dearly departed. Day of the Dead is a beautiful celebration of life. This video shares the cultural significance and symbolism and will hopefully inspire you to celebrate.

Create a tradition this Day of the Dead by making a home altar, preparing a passed loved one's favorite foods, and join them with a toast of remembrance.

1. How to Celebrate Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead): Learn how to celebrate the memory of loved ones lost with a traditional celebration along with recipes.

2. Day of the Dead Display: An altar does not have to be large and expensive. A small and simple altar is all you need.

3. What I Want on my Altar de Muertos: What would you want your family and friends to place on your future altar? It's something to think about.

4. Who celebrates Día de los Muertos in the United States?: This post is very interesting and even shares statistics in a visual infographic.

5. Dia de Los Muertos Altar: Slideshow: Great ideas on what essential symbolic items are needed for a complete display.

6. Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead): One of the more traditional dishes seen at Day of the Dead celebrations is Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead). This traditional round loaf of bread has strips of dough rolled out and attached on top to represent bones and skulls. This bread is eaten and left on gravesites or on altars as part of the festivities.

7. Dia de Los Muertos - Chocolate Skull Cake: Introduce your children to the holiday by making a delicious cake together in the shape of a skull.

8. Five Mexican recipes to make for Day of the Dead: Make traditional Mexican Day of the Dead food for the occasion such as champurrado, tamales, mole, calabaza en tacha, and pan de muerto.

9. Ofrendas: Celebrating Day of the Dead: In this eBook, you will find Day of the Dead recipes and crafts to celebrate the occasion.
Yvette founded MuyBuenoCookbook.com in 2010. She also is a professional recipe developer and food writer, and is the co-author of Muy Bueno: Three Generations of Authentic Mexican Flavor. You can watch a trailer for the book here.

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What is Day of the Dead? And How is it Different from Halloween?

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Day of the Dead (or Dia de los Muertos, in Spanish) is a Mexican traditional holiday that honors ancestors, family members, and friends who have passed away. The holiday takes place on November 1, in connection with the Catholic holiday of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day (November 2).

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El Día de los Muertos empieza hace 3,000 años. La festivo se celebra en México y las comunidades mexicanoamericano. Empieza con las aztecas y católicas. Los dos tienen celebraciones para los muertos. Las aztecas creyeron que la ultratumba es la verdad. Entonces, celebran los muertos con festivos. Las católicas celebran los muertos con festivos también. El Día de los muertos nació cuando los dos celebraciones combinaron.

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Day of the Dead is an important Mexican holiday that celebrates and honors deceased loved ones. In Mexico, the celebration is held from October 31 to November 2nd, coinciding with the Catholic feast days of All Saints and All Souls, but the festival's origins are rooted in a combination of elements of indigenous beliefs and Catholic teachings. Over time it has evolved, adding some new ideas and practices, ultimately transcending its origins to evolve into the truly Mexican holiday that is celebrated today as Día de Muertos or Hanal Pixan in the Maya area.

Prehispanic Beliefs About Death

There were many ethnic groups living in Mesoamerica in ancient times, as there still are today. The different groups had and still have different customs, but they also had many things in common. A belief in an afterlife was very widespread and dates back to over 3500 years ago. In many archaeological sites in Mexico, the ornate way in which people were buried shows evidence of the belief in the afterlife, and the fact that tombs were often constructed beneath homes, meant that deceased loved ones would remain close to their living family members.

The Aztecs believed there were several planes of existence which were separate but interrelated to the one on which we dwell. They envisioned a world with 13 overworlds or layers of heavens above the earthly terrain, and nine underworlds. Each of these levels had their own characteristics and particular gods who ruled them.

When someone died it was believed that the place their soul would go to depended on the manner in which they died. Warriors who died in battle, women who died during childbirth, and victims of sacrifice were considered to be the most fortunate, as they would be rewarded by achieving the highest plane in the afterlife.

The Aztecs had a month-long celebration in which the ancestors were honored and offerings were left to them. This festival took place in the month of August and paid homage to the lord and lady of the underworld, Mictlantecuhtli and his wife Mictlancíhuatl.

The Catholic Influence

When the Spaniards arrived in the sixteenth century, they introduced the Catholic faith to the indigenous people of Mesoamerica and tried to stamp out the native religion. They were only moderately successful, and the Catholic teachings intermingled with the native beliefs to create new traditions. The festival related to death and celebrating the ancestors was moved to coincide with the Catholic holidays of All Saints Day (November 1st) and All Souls Day (November 2nd), and although it is considered a Catholic holiday, it retains elements of the pre-Hispanic celebrations.

Mocking Death

Many images that are associated with Day of the Dead appear to be mocking death. Playful skeletons, decorated skulls, and toy coffins are ubiquitous. Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) was an illustrator and engraver from Aguascalientes who satirized death by depicting clothed skeletons performing everyday activities. During the rule of president Porfirio Diaz, Posada made a social statement by poking fun at politicians and the ruling class - particularly Diaz and his wife.

He invented the character La Catrina, a well-dressed female skeleton, which has become one of the main symbols of Day of the Dead.

Day of the Dead Today

Celebrations vary from place to place. Some of the best Day of the Dead destinations include Oaxaca, Patzcuaro and Janitzio in Michoacan, and Mixquic, on the outskirts of Mexico City. Day of the Dead is a continually evolving tradition, and Mexico's proximity to the United States has enhanced the overlap that exists between Halloween and Day of the Dead. Children dress up in costumes and, in the Mexican version of trick-or-treating, go out to pedir Muertos (ask for the dead). In some locations, instead of candy, they'll be given items off the family Day of the Dead altar.

Conversely, in the United States, more people are celebrating Day of the Dead, taking the opportunity to honor and remember their deceased loved ones by creating altars and participating in other Day of the Dead festivities.

Learn some of the vocabulary associated with Day of the Dead.

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Day of the Dead is an important Mexican holiday that celebrates and honors deceased loved ones. In Mexico, the celebration is held from October 31 to November 2nd, coinciding with the Catholic feast days of All Saints and All Souls, but the festival's origins are rooted in a combination of elements of indigenous beliefs and Catholic teachings.

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Selena Quintanilla llamó "La Reina de Música Tejano." Su cumpleaños es el 16 de abril. Su aficionada Yolanda Saldivar se mató. Muchas personas era triste cuadno ella muertó, pero muchas personas se honoran ahora. Quiero honorar Selena porque me gusta su música. Ella era muy bonita y una cantadora muy buena. Ella tuvo la ropa muy bonita y está fallando.

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Hay muchas símbolos del Día de los muertos. Unos símbolos muy importantes son las calaveras de azúcar.  Las calaveras son muy bonita y son usado parar decorar las ofrendas. Las ofrendas son un símbolo del Día de los muertos también. Hay usando para honorar los muertos. Otros símbolos son los flores como la caléndula y las mariposas. Tipicamente, personas ponen los cempasúchiles, un flor nativo del México, en ofrendas. Todos los símbolos son usando para honorar los muertos.

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By Maria Anderson

What do sugar skulls, marigolds and monarch butterflies have in common? Just like pumpkins, witches and black cats are quintessential symbols of Halloween, these objects are associated with a different holiday: Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

With the help of the Smithsonian Latino Center, Smithsonian Insider has rounded up five things you should know about this holiday:

1. It's not the same as Halloween

While Halloween is celebrated Oct. 31, Día de los Muertos is celebrated right after, on Nov. 2. Many communities that celebrate Día de los Muertos also celebrate Halloween.

2. It originated in Mexico and Central America

Día de los Muertos originated in ancient Mesoamerica (Mexico and northern Central America) where indigenous groups, including Aztec, Maya and Toltec, had specific times when they commemorated their loved ones who had passed away. Certain months were dedicated to remembering the departed, based on whether the deceased was an adult or a child.

After the arrival of the Spanish, this ritual of commemorating the dead was intertwined with two Spanish holidays: All Saints Day (Nov. 1) and All Soul's Day (Nov. 2). Día de los Muertos is often celebrated on Nov. 1 as a day to remember children who have passed away, and on Nov. 2 to honor adults.

Today, Día de los Muertos is celebrated mostly in Mexico and some parts of Central and South America. Recently it has become increasingly popular among Latino communities abroad, including in the United States.

3. It's a celebration of life, not death

Ancient Mesoamericans believed that death was part of the journey of life. Rather than death ending life, they believed that new life came from death. This cycle is often associated with the cyclical nature of agriculture, whereby crops grow from the ground where the last crop lies buried.

Día de los Muertos is an opportunity to remember and celebrate the lives of departed loved ones. Like any other celebration, Día de los Muertos is filled with music and dancing. Some popular dances include La Danza de los Viejitos-the dance of the little old men-in which boys and young men dress as old men, walk around crouched over then suddenly jump up in an energetic dance. Another dance is La Danza de los Tecuanes -the dance of the jaguars-that depicts farm workers hunting a jaguar.

4. The ofrenda is a central component

The ofrenda is often the most recognized symbol of Día de los Muertos. This temporary altar is a way for families to honor their loved ones and provide them what they need on their journey. They place down pictures of the deceased, along with items that belonged to them and objects that serve as a reminder of their lives.

Every ofrenda also includes the four elements: water, wind, earth and fire. Water is left in a pitcher so the spirits can quench their thirst. Papel picado, or traditional paper banners, represent the wind. Earth is represented by food, especially bread. Candles are often left in the form of a cross to represent the cardinal directions, so the spirits can find their way.

5. Flowers, butterflies and skulls are typically used as symbols

The cempasúchil, a type of marigold flower native to Mexico, is often placed on ofrendas and around graves. With their strong scent and vibrant color the petals are used to make a path that leads the spirits from the cemetery to their families' homes.

Monarch butterflies play a role in Día de los Muertos because they are believed to hold the spirits of the departed. This belief stems from the fact that the first monarchs arrive in Mexico for the winter each fall on Nov. 1, which coincides with Día de los Muertos.

Calaveritas de azucar, or sugar skulls, along with toys, are left on the altars for children who have passed. The skull is used not as morbid symbol but rather as a whimsical reminder of the cyclicality of life, which is why they are brightly decorated.

Learn more about Día de los Muertos click this link to visit the Smithsonian Latino Center's Latino Virtual Museum.

Tags: Halloween, Smithsonian Latino Center

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5 Facts About Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead)

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By Maria Anderson What do sugar skulls, marigolds and monarch butterflies have in common? Just like pumpkins, witches and black cats are quintessential symbols of Halloween, these objects are associated with a different holiday: Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

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Hay muchas tradiciónes para el Día de los muertos. Una tradición es ir al cementerio y hacer una ofrenda. Es posible que ellos pongan el pan dulce, las calaveras de azúcar, y los flores. Muchos símbolos aparecen en las ofrendas. Hay muchos festivos. Hay procesiónes también. Para celebrar, muchas personas beben, comen muchas comidas, y e divierten.

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Day of the Dead history: Ritual dates back 3,000 years and is still evolving

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Indigenous people wouldn't let 'Day of the Dead' die, and many around the world and Arizona celebrate the holiday today.

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I really enjoyed this project! I love learning about new cultures and traditions in other countries. I've watched the movie "The Book of Life" and had heard about El Día de los muertos before, but I was excited to learn more. It was interesting to read about the different traditions and how each person celebrates differently. I think it's really cool how they don't fear the dead, but instead honor them. I now really want to make a sugar skull because they look so pretty. It was also interesting to learn about the history. I never knew that it came from the Aztecs and Catholic holidays and celebrations. I hope to learn more about other cultures in the future!