El Día de los Muertos , El Día de los Difuntos, Day of the Dead is
NOT HALLOWEEN.
El Dia de los Muertos is a day or days in which people in many cultures, especially in México and other places in Latin America, welcome the spirits of their loved ones back into their homes for a joyful visit. It is traditionally not a scary time -- after all, would you be afraid of seeing your departed spouse, parent or grandparent again? (Well, maybe in some cases...)
Common activities occur in the home. Families create small altars in which they place photos of their loved ones, their special items, favorite meals or beverages. It is a time for telling stories about their absent family members and remembering them with love.
In México, the flowers called cempasuchil are abundant in the markets because they are used to mark pathways to lead the spirits home again and to adorn the altars.
The burial places are cleaned and refreshed with flowers. Often entire families will meet in the cemetaries with the beloved´s favorite food and drink and celebrate their lives with picnics, song, dance, storytelling and generally good times.
Children, and others, often enjoy giving each other candies and small trinkets decorated with skeletons and the friend´s name.
You have probably seen drawings, sculptures, and other representations of people as skeletons. One of the most famous of these is called La Catrina (see above). The Mexican artist Jose Luís Posada,1852 – 1913, created this and many others to poke fun at the aristocracy and politicians.
You might enjoy reading more about Posada and Día de los Muertos on these sites, among many others. You may also enjoy the Disney Pixar film, Coco.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/José_Guadalupe_Posada
https://www.openculture.com/2023/10/meet-the-man-who-created-the-iconic-emblem-of-the-day-of-the-dead-jose-guadalupe-posada.html
