Fact+Sheet

The Day of the Dead Fact Sheet Micah //**When**////**:**// //**Where: **// //**What: **// //**History: **//
 * November 1st and November 2nd
 * Same time as Halloween, All Saints' Day, and All Soul's Day [[image:khsdayofthedead2/220px-Catrinas_2.jpg width="132" height="198" align="right"]]
 * November 1st is for honoring the dead children and infants
 * November 2nd is for honoring the deceased adults
 * Also celebrated in parts of the United States
 * Celebrated in public and private areas
 * Most often celebrated in homes and graveyards
 * Public celebrating can be street parties, parades, and festivals on universities campuses
 * Origins can be traced back to the indigenous peoples of Latin America, such as the Aztecs, Mayans Purepecha, Nahua and Totonac
 * Many other counties celebrate a different version of Day of the Dead celebrations as well. They have special ways for honoring the dead. Some of these continents are Central and South America, Europe, and Asia.
 * Viewed as a Mexican Holiday
 * Is a holiday for remembering the peole who have passed away
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Mexicans most important holiday<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">[[image:khsdayofthedead2/skull_candy.jpg width="148" height="225" align="right"]]
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Is a blend between pre-Hispanic indigenous beliefs and Spanish Catholic beliefs
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Mood is much lighter because it is honoring the deceased and not fearing evil or malevolent spirits
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Due to the duration and how people get involved it has been called "The Cult of Death"
 * //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Traditions: //**
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Sugar skulls are made and eaten on El Dia de los Muertos
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">In homes, people create altars to honor their deceased loved ones. Some people let their altars open to the public
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">In graveyards, the families clean the graves of their loved ones and decorate it with flowers, foods, cakes, photos, etc. The families sometimes stay up the whole night in the graveyard and tell funny stories about their deceased loved ones. Musicians are hired to stroll throught the graveyard and play some of the favorite songs of the deceased.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Some People even paint their faces to look like a skull
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Some people start getting ready for the celebration with the harvesting of the cempasushitl flower also known as the flower of the twenty petals
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The family will usually bring toys to the grave if the deceased one is an infant or a child.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The family will also take bottles of tequila, mescal, pulque or jars of atole if the deceased family member is an adult<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">[[image:khsdayofthedead2/cempasuchitl.jpg width="244" height="141" align="right"]]
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Originated centuries ago in Mexico (still widely celebrated to this day)
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">In pre-hispanic era, it was common to keep the skulls as trophies and displaying them during the rituals to symbolize death and rebirth

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