By Elizabeth Vazquez
Boo!
Scared ya? no? Oh Well, I tried.
If you couldn’t tell, Halloween is so close, days away but so is another Holiday: Dia De los Muertos.
It’s honestly one of my all time favorite holidays. Don’t get me wrong, Halloween is cool but Dia de los Muertos is just cooler. The Dia de los muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday that celebrates those who have passed on by welcoming back departed loved ones with offerings to die for.
The holiday begins on October 31st, and ends on November 2nd … and each day introduces something different.
On October 31, at midnight, tradition says God opens the gates of heaven.
On November 1, the spirits of the children are able to visit their families.
Then, after the children, on November 2, the spirits of the adults are able to join their families.
Mexico celebrates with large parties, visiting graves, and by using marigolds as decorations for practically everything. And let’s not forget the dresses and face paint that resemble skeletons. Although Dia De los Muertos sounds much similar to what people do on Halloween, I can assure you, the holidays remain quite different. According to History.com, Mexicans believe that during the Dia De los Muertos: “The border between the spirit world and the real world dissolves,” awakening the spirits and allowing them to see their loved ones.
My mom said that in Guerrero, the part of Mexico where she’s from, She would have to make candles so she could light them up as decorations. Then she and her family would prepare the whole house for their honored guests, which were the returning spirits of their loved ones. This included making and eating a lot of food.They would eat tamales, Mole Poblano, Tacos Dorados, Arroz Con Frijol, Pan Dulce, Atole De Arroz … in other words, any Mexican food you can think of.
My dad said that he would play music for the dead, only the Classics. He said he would get his guitar and just start playing these songs, so his family could enjoy and dance to the beat of the music.
Right now my family is preparing for a traditional Dia de los Muertos together with the classic food, classic music, and the classic 14 other families that come to every party we host. Our dead relatives may not be with us in New York, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have (or want) to celebrate!
Anyways, may you all have a great Halloween, Ima just be over there somewhere talking to my great, great, great…you get it.