Day of the Dead

Since the day of the dead is celebrated in Mexico from the 31st of October to the 2nd of November I decided I should talk about it a bit. To oversimplify things a bit the Day of the Dead is when the souls of the departed come to commingle with the living. Because this celebration dates back to pre Christian times the actually celebration changes by the region you are in. In all the regions this is a day of celebration. It's a happy time not a time of morning. Now here is where things will start to vary. Altars are made to honor the departed. Items from the dead such as pictures and clothing adorn the altar. In some locations flower petals are laid down to create a path from the cemetery to the altar. This path is used to guide the spirit to the family to ensure they make it to the celebration. Special foods ranging from breads to sugar skulls are made for the celebration. This celebration also celebrates children. It was originally a mark of the transition from life to death. In Aztec culture death was not an end but a transition like a catapiler changing to a butterfly. When Christianity was integrated into Mexican culture the celebration was moved from a summertime celebration to a fall celebration to put a more positive spin on things. It also changed the meaning of death for the culture. It went from a transition to an ending. In America the day of the dead is mostly celebrated as a day to get drunk just like St. Patrick day. I would be very interested in seeing a traditional celebration.

Have a nice day. There are a number of good websites out there which will explain things much better then I have. I am not by any means an expert on cultures.