A Point of View: Day of the Dead

Happy October and rapidly approaching Día de Muertos or Day of The Dead.
You would think with a daunting name like Day of The Dead you would think the
Dia De Los Muertos would be a day of horror or fright But No.
The spooky celebration originated in Aztec tradition deep in central and southern Mexico.
Celebrated on November 1 and now combined in many places with Halloween. A tradition that honors the dead with festivals and lively celebrations these days typically in most of Mexico and Latin American.
According to National Geographic, “Assured that the dead would be insulted by mourning or sadness, Dia de los Muertos celebrates the lives of the deceased with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life. Dia de los Muertos recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience, a continuum with birth, childhood, and growing up to become a contributing member of the community. On Dia de los Muertos, the dead are also a part of the community, awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones.”
Belief is that at midnight on October 31, the souls of all deceased children come down from heaven and reunite with their families on November 1, and the souls of deceased adults come visit on November 2.
Believers make colorful altars in their homes in honor of their deceased and the altars are decorated with flowers, candles, their loved one’s favorite food and Pan de Muerto, a Pan Dulce, a slightly sweet bread specifically made for this occasion.
Dia de Los Muertos is a time honored tradition that has been celebrated for 3000 years now.
Not even the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th Century who thought the tradition was sacrilegious was able to extinguish it.
So this year think about inviting people to your house for Pan de Muerto, Go to the cemetery where you can eat rich food, drink Tequila or Mezcal, and have a celebration. Don’t forget to leave your door open because a stranger may just bring a spirit of one of your loved ones along.
Feliz Dia de Los Muertos Amigos.