1. EL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS

3. Dia de los muertos takes place November 1 st and 2 nd.

4. When the Spanish Conquistadores arrived in the land known now as México, they were shocked to discover natives practicing a ritual that seemed to mock death. HOW IT ALL BEGAN…

5. The Aztecs and many other pre-Hispanic civilizations colleced skulls as trophies and used them during the ritual. These skulls symbolized death and rebirth. Unlike the Spaniards who viewed death as the end of life, the natives considered it as a continuation of life.

6. To the Aztec people, life was a dream and only in death they would become awake.

7. The ritual had been practiced for over 3000 years until the Spaniards decided to try to get rid of it. But like the old Aztec spirits, the ritual refused to die and continues to live.

8. Today the Day of the Dead is celebrated in the central and southern states of México and in certain parts of Central America and the United States.

9. People in rural México pay tribute every year by spending the night in the cemetery where their loved ones are buried. They decorate the graves with Flores de Muerto (marigold flowerers), toys for the children, and bottles of mezcal for the adults.

10. In Mexico's larger cities, families build altars dedicated to the dead. They surround the altars with food, skulls made of sugar, candles, sugar cane, pictures of the deceased, items that the deceased loved.

13. Skulls symbolize death and rebirth. The Aztecs and Mesoamerican civilizations kept skulls as trophies and displayed them during rituals. The skulls were also used to honor the dead. The skulls are typically grinning because they are laughing at death. They can be made from paper, wood, paper maché, tin, or sugar. SKULLS

14. This bread represents the soul of the departed. Sometimes it is in the shape of a skull and can be decorated with frosting or seeds. In Oaxaca the seeds represent happiness. PAN DE MUERTOS

15. The flowers must be specific colors, orange and yellow, and are considered the flowers of the dead. The sweet smell and petals, which are used to mark a clear path, lure the souls back to homes and altars. The orange marigold was the flower that the Aztecs used to remember their dead. Its color represents the tones of the earth. FLOWERS/ MARIGOLDS (CEMPASÚCHITL)

16. Common colors for candles are purple (representing pain), white (for hope), and pink (meaning celebration). They are usually placed in the four cardinal points, making a cross. The light of the candle is used to illuminate the way for the dead as they return. Each candle represents a departed soul. CANDLES

17. This is tissue paper (or plastic today) with cut out holes that create pictures or words. They are similar to paper snowflakes although the pictures are skulls or other appropriate pictures. PAPEL PICADO

18. Photos in frames of the deceased are placed around the altar in remembrance. PHOTOS OF THE DECEASED