Dia de los Muertos / Day of the Dead

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), or Todos Santos (All Saints) as it is sometimes called, is an annual celebration of life and death observed throughout Greater Mexico during which time celebrants welcome home the spirits of their deceased loved ones with ofrendas (offerings) of food, drink, and other cherished personal items and then commune with them at their grave sites. The Day of the Dead marks the one time during the year when the dead may return, if only for a few hours, to visit their loved ones and to enjoy the pleasures they had known in life. Traditionally, festivities are held between the evening of October 31st and November 2nd but some communities begin parts of the celebration as early as October 27th. Throughout Mexico, el Día de los Muertos is primarily a private, family-based ritual that culminates in a public, community celebration. The practice of observing el Día de los Muertos has also found a home in the United States where festivities are largely public and represent an opportunity for community building and cultural affirmation for urban Chicanos and Latinos.

Covarrubias, A. M. (2012). Día DE LOS MUERTOS (DAY OF THE DEAD). In M. Herrera-Sobek, Celebrating Latino folklore: an encyclopedia of cultural traditions. ABC-CLIO. Credo Reference: https://ezproxy.ollusa.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/abcclioclft/dia_de_los_muertos_day_of_the_dead/0?institutionId=3517