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The Day of the Dead, the Mexican festival commemorating those who have died, is here.

Day of the Dead, also called Dia de los Muertos, is often incorrectly referred to as “Mexican Halloween” due to the year in which it is celebrated and the use of skeletons. The holiday has roots in southern Mexico and honors the memory of deceased family members, friends and even pets.

La Casita Center, a Hispanic nonprofit organization in Louisville, is hosting a Day of the Dead celebration from 4 to 10 a.m. Saturday at 445 E. Market St. The free event features music, altars and food.

Here's what you need to know about Day of the Dead:

When is Day of the Dead 2024?

This year the holiday falls on Friday November 1st and Saturday November 2nd.

What is the Day of the Dead?

Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday. During these two days, the spirits are believed to return home and spend time with their relatives.

Day of the Dead is celebrated primarily in Mexico and Central America and has spread to several cities in the United States

Do you say “Happy Dia de los Muertos”? Greetings on the Day of the Dead

Despite its cheerful appearance, Dia de los Muertos is a somber holiday honoring those who have died. Therefore, wishing someone “Feliz Dia de los Muertos” or “Happy Day of the Dead” is considered a faux pas, according to a blog post by Loco Gringo.

Similarities and differences between Halloween and Dia de los Muertos

Both holidays are only a few days apart, but are not the same.

While both are considered “scary,” Halloween is about darkness, death, ghosts, witches, candy, and costumes. On the other hand, Day of the Dead is explicitly about life after death and memory.

Day of the Dead Traditions

Food, flowers and altars are necessary parts of the celebration. To honor the deceased, food such as sugar skulls, sweetbreads and drinks are arranged on ofrendas, or home altars, along with clay ornaments and sentimental items.

Whether at the cemetery itself or at a table at home, family members believe their loved ones will enjoy the “essence” of the treats on offer.

Houses and streets are decorated with paper and flower garlands. Bright orange marigold flowers, commonly known as “flowers of the dead,” are believed to attract the souls of loved ones to ofrendas through their scent.

Here are some ofrendas used and why:

  • Burning candles: Candles add a festive glow to ofrendas.
  • Pictures of deceased relatives: Used to customize and memorialize lost loved ones.
  • Marigold flowers: Flowers are placed on sidewalks to make it easier for the deceased to reach their loved ones.
  • Memorial to the deceased: Personal items such as playing cards, a watch or glasses, or other memorabilia that belonged to the deceased.
  • Smoking: Matter is symbolically transformed into spiritual. Mesoamerican cultures use copal, a sacred incense, for important occasions and ceremonies.
  • Tiny Sugar Skulls: These little sweets are enjoyed during the celebrations. They represent the sweetness of life.
  • Mezcal or water: The deceased are offered bottles of mezcal or atole, a traditional hot corn drink, to accompany them on their long journey to the land of the dead.
  • Bread of the Dead: To represent our own mortality and our bones, the bread has four stripes at the top, forming a cross.

Why are skeletons used in Day of the Dead?

Skeletons are the most famous representations of the Day of the Dead. Nowadays people dress up in elaborate costumes with skull faces. A playful representation of life after death is a skeleton.

One of the many well-known Day of the Dead depictions, La Calavera Catrina, which translates to “elegant skull,” first appeared in 1910 as a skeletal figure in an elaborate outfit.

In Mexico, satirical artist Jose Guadalupe Posada was the first to draw her figure. It should serve as a mocking reminder to those seeking social and political prominence that all humans are, at heart, just bundles of bones.

Alebrijes: Even the dead need a spiritual guide

Pedro Linares, an artist in Mexico City, introduced the celebration in 1936 with colorful mythical creatures called alebrijes. With their exaggerated bodies with stripes and dots, they are considered creatures from our dreams and the realm of the dead. They are typically made of papier-mâché or wood.

Sacred Animals in Indigenous Culture:

  • butterfly: Considered a symbol of rebirth and transformation for humans.
  • Xoloitzcuintli dog: These dogs were believed to guide the spirits of their ancestors to their final resting place in the afterlife.
  • lizard: This spirit animal represents rebirth, regeneration, and the ability to adapt to any environment.

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