Sunday, March 24, 2013

2.3 Dia Los Muertos (Day of the Dead)


There is a special time in Mexico from November 1st to November 2nd: Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos.
On these days, families create special altars in their homes.  Theyre decorated with flowers, photos of the dead, candles, and food. One special kind of food is calavera. Its a sugar skull that represents dead ancestors. Another is pan de muerto (soulsbread). It symbolizes the bones of the dead and the tears of the living. Some people ring a bell 12 times to bring their ancestors spirits into the altar. Others burn incense as a welcome. They also walk down the streets wearing skeleton masks or clothes painted with bones.
It is believed that dead spirits can return home only once a year during this holiday. So all of these celebrations are held to encourage them on their way with a joyful atmosphere.

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