Celebrate This Year's Halloween With A Little Help From The 'Day of the Dead'!

By Aimee Mahmoud

It's no secret: Day of the Dead, or Dia de Los Muertos as it is called in Spanish, has made its way into popular culture like never before. Sugar skull motifs and caravela (that's Spanish for skeleton!) artwork have featured prominently in Halloween trends, tattoo, and Rock 'n' Roll culture in recent years, but did you know that the Day of the Dead festival doesn't actually take place on October 31st?

While Halloween is a Celtic tradition brought from Ireland to the Americas, Dia de Los Muertos is a Mexican holiday held every November 1st, otherwise known as the "Feast of All Saints" in Roman Catholic liturgy. The image of "Santa Muerte" or "Saint Death" is placed on display in homes, churches, and community centers as a way to honor the souls of deceased relatives, friends, and other loved ones. Rather than being a somber, mournful event, Day of the Dead is actually one of Mexico's most lively and joyful celebrations! Special cemetery dinners are prepared, allowing one to partake in a meal alongside the tombs of dead loved ones. Festive street parades and parties are the highlight of the celebration, notable for their incorporation of skull and skeleton motifs all dressed up in beautiful, vibrant colors and flowers.

It's really no wonder then that such a delightfully macabre holiday made its way to the United States. American cities with large Mexican-American communities are no stranger to Dia de Los Muertos celebrations, and since it just so happens that the two holiday dates practically overlap, incorporating common Day of the Dead images into your Halloween festivities makes perfect sense!