All Souls’ Day (Day of the Dead) Día de los Fieles Difuntos

November 2 – All Souls’ Day (Día de los Fieles Difuntos) also known as  Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos)

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Traditional Mexican Day of the Dead (dia De Muertos) altar with sugar skulls and candles. Photo: BigStockPhoto.com / AGCuesta

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The better known of the two early November holidays, Day of the Dead honors adult dead friends, relatives, and loved ones with altars (with favorite items of the loved ones), music, graveyard celebrations, food, and more. Calaveras de azúcar (small skulls made of sugar). It is not a state holiday.

Photo on right:
Traditional Mexican Catrina figurine for Mexican Day Of The Dead memorials. 
BigStockPhoto.com / AGCuesta

 

Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos)  is a holiday in which Mexicans remember and honor their deceased loved ones. Though it may sound gloomy or morbid, it’s not. It’s a festive and colorful holiday. Mexicans visit cemeteries, decorate the graves and spend time there, in the presence of their deceased friends and family members. They also make elaborately decorated altars (called ofrendas) in their homes to welcome the spirits.
https://gomexico.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/p/day_of_the_dead.htm

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Mexican offering for the dead showing sugar skulls and assorted traditional candy.
Photo:  BigStockPhoto.com / AGCuesta

Representations of Catrina, one of the most popular figures of the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico.

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Representations of Catrina.
Photo: Wikipedia Commons –  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead