Dia de los Muertos, 2004
Illustration for poster and invitations
History
Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday that synthesizes indigenous cultural beliefs of honoring the dead with the Catholic Church’s All Souls Day. Predominately observed in Latin America and the Southwestern United States, similar holidays honoring the dead are practiced throughout the world. The Dia de los Muertos holiday brings together friends and families as they pray and remember the lives and souls of those that have died. Celebrated on November 2, many believe that on Dia de Los Muertos is the best time for departed souls to visit the living.
Preparation for this annual event takes place year round, as family and friends gather goods to build alters, shrines and ofrendas for their loved ones. These ofrendas include photos, memorabilia, and favorite foods of the dead, and are commonly displayed in homes, cemeteries and places of celebration. A key symbol of the holiday is the skull, which is represented in many ornate forms from masks to delicious sweets. In some areas, bread called pan de muerto is offered to the dead and given as gifts to the living. In addition, friends and families clean and decorate the graves with beautiful and colorful ornaments that remind them of their loved ones.
