El Día de los Muertos

CHOLULA Cholula is the location of the pyramid which has the largest base in the world.

The pyramid, Tepanapa, is only 181 feet high but covers approximately 25 acres.

A church, Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, is located on the summit of the pyramid.

The pyramid, which spans 10 centuries and contains 7 layers, was discovered in 1910.

Archeologists constructed tunnels to study the many layers of the pyramids. The tunnels are approximately 5 miles in length. Visitors can walk through about ½ mile of the tunnels.

The stairs seen here were actually once an outside layer of the pyramid.

Cholula is watched over by the famous volcano, Popocatepetl, and his companion, Iztaccihuatl.

¿Qué es el Día de los Muertos? October 28 – This is the day to honor those who have died in accidents. October 31 – Spirits of children visit their families. November 1 – All Saints Day – Many families are in their homes near the ofrendas they have prepared to honor those who have died in the past year. November 2 – All Souls Day – Families gather in the cemeteries to honor the dead at the gravesite.

La celebración The people begin preparing for el Día de los Muertos by picking the cempasúchil, or marigolds.

The flowers are used to decorate the family tombs and ofrendas and to create a path for the spirits to follow home.

Las ofrendas Families prepare ornate ofrendas or altars to honor those who have died within the last year.

Las ofrendas take many forms – single level to four tiers. Candles, water, food, pictures, el papel picado, el pan de muerto, and personal objects of the dead are commonly displayed. Other features like mirrors and angels are found in specific towns and villages. Visitors are welcomed with el pan y el chocolate and leave gifts of candles, money or food.

Ofrendas are also found in public places, such as stores, bakeries and plazas.

Commonly-seen themes for el Día de los Muertos Los esqueletos y las calaveras

Los dulces especiales

El papel picado y el pan de muerto

El cementario On the evening of November 2, the families gather at the decorated tombs to honor the dead and pray. In some areas, the families remain in the cemetery most of the night.

The families attend a special Mass for the dead held in the cemetery chapel or in a local church.

Meanwhile, a feria is going on outside the cemetery or nearby in the town plaza.

Halloween from the USA has made inroads on the celebration,

but el Día de los Muertos continues to be a uniquely Mexican celebration...

with strong roots in the indigenous culture...

and the Catholic Church.