Celebrations for Día de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, spans Nov. 1 and 2 , but can start earlier in the year.
By tradition, the holiday celebrates loved ones’ souls returning from the afterlife to spend time with living relatives. Day of the Dead honors and commemorates their lives and welcomes the return of their spirits, the National Museum of the American Latino website said.
It is mainly observed by people in Mexico and Mexican American or Latino communities in the United States, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, and elsewhere in various ways, USA Today reported.
How is the Day of the Dead celebrated?
The tradition dates to more than 3,000 years ago to Indigenous civilizations. It came to become a tradition that has aspects of European Catholicism and Indigenous traditions to remember loved ones who died.
As the Journal News/lohud described the holiday it in depth, the barrier between the land of the dead and living world disappears at midnight and the spirits can reunite for a time with families. The dead are believed to be going to the final resting place of Mictlán. A feast is offered in their honor to help them on their way there.
Day of the Dead celebrations include ofrendas — or altars — that combine “traditional items such as calacas, sugar skulls, or pan de muerto with silk marigold flowers, electric candles and digital photo frames,” said the National Museum of the American Latino website.
Day of the Dead can celebrate anyone someone wants to remember, whether it be family members, friends, pets or even celebrities, USA Today reported.
When is the Day of the Dead celebrated?
Celebrations typically happen on Nov. 1 and 2, depending on the age of the deceased person who is being honored, though sometimes celebrations can start days earlier.
Day of the Innocent, or Día de los Inocentes, is typically Nov. 1 and celebrates the lives of young children or young people. On Nov. 2, Día de los Muertos and Día de los Difuntos, are when the lives of adults who have died are remembered.
Contributing: USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: What is Day of the Dead and when is it celebrated? What to know
Reporting by Michael P. McKinney, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
