Mexican day of the dead traditions!!!????

Question

thankyou! whether they're old traditions or modern traditions its all good!

Day of the Dead (or dias los muertos *spl) is a tradition celebrated in Mexico at the beginning of November, it's kind of like Halloween but they CELEBRATE the dead people instead of using death as a way to scare people... what traditional things would the mexicans do to remember their departed family?

Answer 1

November 1st and 2nd. What we do is put offerings (ofrendas) with all the food the departed one loved. You leave it one night and then eat it in the morning. The ghost is supposed to "eat" the foods essence. You also go to the graveyard and make a picnic on the departed one's grave, and you eat all the things he liked. We eat a lot of calaveritas, which are a type of sugary candy in the shape of skulls, with your name written on the forehead. It is considered funny to give these to your friends with their names on, and you should deffinitely get at least one with your name on per year. These appear in Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban movie, when Harry enters the cellar in Honeydukes, as a great detail from Alfonso Cuarón, who is also Mexican.
Another thing that we do is put up skeletons dressed like the Catrina, called Calavera Catrina. There's also a great festivity in Mixquic, if you come to Mexico you should see it.
All these celebrations come from the old traditions from the time of the colony, when the Spanish ruled, and the catholic tradition got mixed with the prehispanic culture, mostly the Aztec culture. It has just been slightly modified, but the original tradition prevails.
Eating pan de muerto or bread of the dead (which is delicious, by the way) and the calaveritas is a symbol of laughing over death, of mocking something that will happen to you no matter what.
This is one of the strangest Mexican traditions, I don't think anybody laughs st death the way we do, most people are scared of it, yet we change that fear into a great and unique tradition, deffinitely the best.

Answer 2

They make an altar and decorate it with the things the dead relative use to like when he/she was alive. They put their picture on the altar and on Nov 2 they cook up the type of food this person use to like to eat, they put the food on this altar... it is celebrated sort of like a picnic where the family gets together. It is believe that the person comes to visit on that day and will eat their favorite food. At the end the family eats the food. Oh in some places of Mexico they bake a special bread called "pan de muerto". Hope this helps.

Answer 3

I am from the Southern Part of Mexico; Veracruz. On the day of the dead we make a shrine with pictures of loved ones who have passed away. We put a glass of wine or water and chocolates in a bowl, out for the dead to enjoy. We also set up candles and Calacas; which are skeletons that are dressed up to look happy. After a week we take the shrine apart and toss away the food and drinks because it is said that if you eat or drink them you will be haunted by who originally ate them. Hahah When I was young I would steal some chocolates and nothing happen to me.... yet..

Answer 4

On Dia de los Muertos, we would go to the cemetery and bring our loved ones that passed away their favorite food and drinks, decorate their graves with flowers, we would stay there most of the day, maybe playing their favorite music, and just reminiscing about them. If we weren't able to go to the cemetery, we would make an altar at home, with their picture, and make their favorite food.

Answer 5

Tables are decorated with the dead's pictures and some of their favorite items. Their favorite food/drink is usually brought to the grave and then the grave is decorated festively. . .
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Answer 6

make and eat candy skulls and then take food to dead loved ones grave sights then prayh to mary and then light incense and sit til they burn out then you eat a big meal

Answer 7

They build alters to honor their dead ancestors......and apparently the dead like sweets



some of you people are F* 'in morons.....must be from having your midget heads in other peoples butts

Answer 8

Why are people so disrespectful to Mexicans?
They have a far richer culture than America.

Answer 9

Decorate sugar skulls

they used to dig up dead people and eat with them at the table but I don't think they do that anymore...lol

Answer 10

it is very creepy but at the same time its interesting.. and kinda cool..