Day of the Dead: Celebration, History & Origins

Who celebrates the Day of the Dead?

From pre-Columbian times, El Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead has been celebrated in Mexico and other Latin countries. This is a very special ritual.  It is the day on which the living remember their departed relatives. Sometimes, when people of other cultures hear for the first time about the celebration, they mistakenly think it must be: gruesome, terrifying, scary, ugly, and sad.  So, what is the Day of the Dead? It is a beautiful ritual in which Mexicans happily and lovingly remember their loved relatives that have died. Much like when we go to a graveyard to leave some lovely flowers on a tomb of a relative

From the beginning of time, man has felt the need to explain the mystery of life and death. Many civilizations and cultures have created rituals to try and give meaning to human existence.

 

· Where do we come from?Day of the Dead Graveyard Scene· Why does life end?
· Is there “life” after death?
· If so, what kind of “life”?
· Can we do something while alive so we can enjoy “life” after death?

 

To the indigenous peoples of Mexico, death was considered the passage to a new life and so the deceased were buried with many of their personal objects, which they would need in the hereafter. Many times even their pets were sacrificed so they would accompany their masters on their long journey.