Despite the scary and perhaps also depressing name, Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de los Muertos, Día de los Difuntos or, Día de Muertos) is a day of happy and cheerful celebration celebrated with costumes, carnivals and dances.
Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday dedicated to the memory of the fathers who passed away. It is celebrated on the first and second days of November, the day Christians celebrate Halloween (which comes after Halloween) and the day before all the souls of the Catholic Church.
The holiday is celebrated with a cheerful and happy carnival in Mexico and other places where there are large Mexican communities.
During the day it is customary to go to cemeteries and churches and bring the dead gifts such as bottles of tequila, candles and flowers. People come to the carnival in skeleton and mask costumes or make-up of creative skulls, walking around with dolls of the dead and dancing.
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| In the photo: a grave with gifts and candles |
Other countries that celebrate the Day of the Dead are the Philippines, Brazil and other countries in Latin America.
The origin of the holiday is the cultures of the original natives of the American continent (mistakenly referred to as "Indians") - the Aztec culture, the Mayan culture, the Porfercha, the Nahuel and the Totonak.
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| Painting: Large electric skull, by Mexican painter Jose Guadeloupe Posada |
In Aztec culture the Day of the Dead is celebrated in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, starting in early August, for an entire month. The holiday is considered the feast of the goddess Miktakakiwadel, "Goddess of the Dead," during which ceremonies were held for the souls of the dead relatives.
When Mexico was conquered by the Spaniards in the 15th century, Christian missionaries worked to eradicate the pagan holiday, and did so by postponing the holiday and uniting it with the Catholic holiday, All Saints' Day, which was held on the first day of November.
November 1 is also World Vegan Day and Go Cook For Your Pets Day