Day of the Dead/Dia de Muertos

Can I say again how much I love this time of year? I feel that the celebration of Día de Muertos just really brings out the most amazing creativity and artistic expressions from so many talented people. Of course, this occasion to remember our muertos, is a meant to be joyful, colorful and one to fill our senses and spirit with. The symbolisms surrounding the celebration are so beautiful and rich that it’s easy to want to join in. SuchRead More ...

Over the years, Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, has been making its way to the United States and being embraced by all cultures. All Latin American countries celebrate Nov. 1st and 2nd as Día de Muertos or Día de los Difuntos, but most observe it as a somber day of remembrance of those that passed before us. Mexico, on the other hand, has imbued the celebration with rich symbolism and a festive environment that conceives death asRead More ...

  Her obsession with all things death began when my grandmother passed away last year. My then 3-year-old daughter Kalila had grown fond of Mamá Leonor, and I never really considered not taking her with us to the funeral. Just the year before, she had sat on my lap at my grandfather’s funeral, although I’m sure she didn’t remember. There were other small children there, too, and I had always grown up believing that children were just as much aRead More ...

For many people the idea of “celebrating” death might seem gory and even disrespectful, but for those in Mexico and other countries in Latin America remembering those that have passed before us is filled with joy and a festive atmosphere. Much of the symbolism associated with the traditional Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) holiday celebrated in Latin America on November 1st and 2nd, has crossed over to the United States and is starting to fuse with Halloween dueRead More ...

Every year when we open up our box of Halloween pumpkins, ghosts, spiders and bats, we also take out the Día de los Muertos skulls and skeletons we pack in the same box. The day before trick-or-treating, we set up our ofrenda: a memorial or altar that pays tribute to family members and friends who have died. The ofrenda is a collection of treasures, pictures, food, special items and candles to remind the families of their loved ones. Learning aboutRead More ...

Being a bicultural Latina raising biracial kids while living 300 miles from our nearest Spanish-speaking family means that any opportunity to celebrate our Latino roots is one I cannot pass up. My 3 year old daughter is becoming increasingly aware of holidays and traditions, so I felt it was imperative to celebrate Día de los Muertos. Before adorning her beautiful face with calaca face paint, Alina and I spent some time talking about the holiday and traditions associated with DayRead More ...

My first memories of Día de Los Muertos was the smell of fresh mole and bolillos (baguettes) that my grandmother made and we took to the cemetery where her parents and siblings were buried, this repeated every November first, it was the most magical event of the year for me. I didn’t really know about Halloween then. Abuelita said that bringing your relatives’ favorite foods to their tomb will bring their souls back to their buried bodies and we will feelRead More ...

Last week a Colombian friend of ours decided that it would be a great idea to have a pre-Halloween party for the kids. She’s always coming up with the best ideas to keep the kids entertained and en español. This time, she came up with the idea of having a comparsa-style party, meaning that the whole family would have to come dressed up under one theme and put together a show to perform in front of everyone. Yikes! As funRead More ...