Holiday season is upon us guys! This week in particular is a busy week for holidays! Not only is Halloween tomorrow, but on the days following we celebrate Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos).
You may or may not know that I (Alexis) am actually Mexican. My dad is originally from Mexico and moved to the U.S. in his teens. My ethnicity is mixed. I have Mexican on both sides, but also a smidgen of Irish on my maternal grandmother’s side which I really think is how I managed to get my green eyes 😉
Anyway, we are huge on heritage in our family. My mom is a genealogy expert and I just love any excuse to celebrate with loved ones! Day of the Dead is one of those holidays that I love to celebrate for many reasons.
For those who aren’t familiar with this holiday, it is celebrated in Mexico to remember those who have passed on. It takes place on November 1st & 2nd every year. It shows such a healthy view of death, giving people a way to celebrate the lives of those who have left us.
On these days, families will set up an altar to honor those who have passed on. Day of the Dead altars are set up with pictures of deceased loved ones, candles, flowers, food and drinks. The belief is that the spirits of our deceased family & friends can visit and be with us once more.
I love the idea of remembering those who we love and essentially inviting them to visit us by creating altars and setting out their favorite foods/candies/drinks. They were important to us in life and are still important to us to this day. Families are forever!
Why we celebrate.
We celebrate for multiple very simple reasons: (1) Culture is important. It is important to understand our heritage. (2) Remembering and celebrating deceased loved ones is a great for the grieving process. (3) It gives us a reason to get together with extended family & friends and strengthen those bonds. (4) We love Mexican food.
If you want to celebrate, but are not sure how there are typically celebrations in every state for Day of the Dead. If you just do a quick google search I’m sure you will find something. In Utah, Thanksgiving Point does one every year. They offer food, face painting, entertainment, dancing, sugar skull decorating and even have altars that different families set up to honor their loved ones. It is a great family activity that we like to do in addition to our own celebrations.
You do not have to celebrate on Day of the Dead.
I love the idea of dedicating a specific day to remembering loved ones because oftentimes we get so caught up in other activities that it is easy to forget. BUT that doesn’t mean you have to do it only on Day of the Dead, you can remember your loved ones whenever you want to. I love pulling out old photos and remembering different stories of fun times we had together.
TIP: Write down your memories so that you don’t forget! They will be fun to read years later as well!
We all have our own beliefs and you may or may not agree with me on this one, but for me and my family this holiday is so comforting!
Kim~madeinaday
Wednesday 2nd of November 2016
Nice post! Thanks for linking up to Merry Monday! Pinned! Have a great week! Kim
Brea
Monday 31st of October 2016
Although it's not something we've celebrated in our home, my kids both learned about Day of the Dead and created alters at school. I think it's a beautiful tradition! And I loved your cut-out photo!! So cute!
My favorite tradition would be celebrating Swedish Christmas with my husband's family. It's really mostly about the food. It's hearty comfort food, to say the least!
Lexi @ That Fit Fam
Friday 4th of November 2016
thank you!! I love that you celebrate Swedish Christmas! comfort food is the best!