Day of the Dead is a celebration filled with
dancing, wearing colorful costumes, eating favorite
foods, and celebrating life. Hundreds of years ago
in Mexico the native peoples who lived there had
a celebration for the dead. They believed that
spirits of their dead relatives returned to earth
once a year to visit with them.
The festival is celebrated every year for two
days, on November 1 and 2. It is a festival known
as Dia De los Muertos. This day is important
to people who are from Mexico, Central and
South America, Spain, and the Philippines, and
in parts of the United States. These two days are
celebrated to honor and remember loved ones
who have passed on.
The first day is called Dia de los Angelitos (Day
of the little Angels), which is a day to celebrate
children who have passed away. The second day
is to celebrate the adults. Although different parts
of Mexico celebrate the festival in different ways,
there are some common practices.
On both days people decorate the graves of
their relatives with flowers and the favorite foods
of the relatives. Many people build altars, called
ofrendas, in their homes to honor the relatives
who passed away. Candles and photos are an
important part of honoring loved ones, so people
decorate picture frames with pretty flowers and
place candles and bread on the altars. The rituals
used to celebrate the day are filled with vibrant
color, music and food.
Celebrating the day of the dead is a true
celebration of life.
Day of the Dead Celebration
The Day of the Dead is celebrated in Mexico
and other parts of Latin America as a celebration of life
By Kim Marquez • kmarquez@nwadg.com
4...
Off icialKidsMag.com • OC T & NOV 2018 • 15
