In Mexico, many people are preparing for November first and second. They will be going to bakeries, and flower shops, buying items like toys, food, and other things. Music will be  playing in the streets and kids will be seen running around, the smell of food and alcohol in the air. All these things are in preparation for the Day of the Dead. Emily Quijada has her own way of celebrating this day. 

“We wake up early, we get all the food ready, we get the mariachi and then we go to the cemetery and then we stay at the cemetery all day and me and my friends and my cousins we throw eggs and flour at each other and silly string,” said Triton student Emily Quijada on how she prepares for the holiday.

The Day of the Dead is a unique holiday because of how many different traditions and ways to celebrate it there are. Although not all Latinos celebrate it, some for religious reasons,  the ones that do make the most out of it by celebrating, decorating their house and the person grave and many other ways. 

The Day of the Dead is mostly celebrated on November first and second. The holiday goes all the way back to the Aztecs and a time when, instead of celebrating only 2 days, they celebrated a whole month. Over the course of many years, the tradition kept going and was turned into the Day of the Dead. It was first celebrated by Aztecs who would make the month full of festivities. And rituals to the Goddess Mectecacihuatl.vThe Day of the Dead is mostly celebrated in Mexico. It’s the day families welcome back the souls of deceased relatives or people they once knew. 

“I know it’s about celebrating family members and friends we’ve lot and lost ones,” said Maya Costonis on what she knows about the Day of the Dead. While she doesn’t celebrate this day she knows many people that do.

The most common and traditional way of celebrating is by making an altar and decorating it with items and foods the person you’re celebrating enjoyed during their life. Marigolds are the traditional flower for the holiday since they are believed to guide the souls to the families. Another way to celebrate is by visiting the cemetery and grave of the person. The holiday isn’t just celebrated in Mexico though. Other Latin American countries also celebrate under different names in places such as Guatemala, Peru, and others. Although it’s mostly Latino countries that celebrate, it doesn’t mean only they can celebrate it. 

“I don’t celebrate it but I think it’s cool that other people do,” said student Gabby Grant who knows some things from her Spanish class.

As long as you’re celebrating respectfully you can celebrate it too!

The movie Coco is an animated film based on the Day of the Dead and a boy named Miguel who is accidentally transported to the land of the dead. Another film that focuses on the afterlife in Mexico is the Book of Life. Both have had an impact on Americans and their view on the holiday. Most of the time people get their knowledge from these films and or other pop culture references. Coco mainly focuses on Miguel’s journey with his family and their troubles rather than on the cultural part of the day. What ends up happening is that they dramatize what actually happens and that’s how misconceptions can occur. Like you won’t actually be able to see the dead if you steal from an altar. It’s not a good thing to do but you won’t be transported to a whole other world. It’s still a good movie overall and it shows how in many Hispanic cultures family is very important, and so is their approval. 

At the end of the two-day celebration, many are left with relief and happiness and ready to do it all over again the following year.