DIA DE MUERTOS (DAY OF DEATH)

By Gabriela Montes de Oca Casillas

For many people, when a person who you love a lot dies, is a good reason to cry.  But in Mexico the Aztecans has a different conception of the death. They thought that when you die, you are a lucky person because you’ll be with god. After the death you won’t feel pain anymore, and for celebrate that they make a banquet, on July 16^th (the original date) these death people come back to take this banquet.

Candy skull

  Nowadays, Mexico celebrates this day on   

  November 1^st and 2^nd. We prepare food

  which was the favorite for death person before 

  to die. Mole, arroz, pollo, atole, tamales and frijoles are the

  traditional food that people make but on November 1^st, we put  

  candies and toys for kids and  2^nd we put alcohol for the adults. 

  

  Also the water, salt, candles and  cempasúchil flower are 

  important. The water calms down their thirst because they walk a

  long road. The salt is to purify their souls.  The candles help to light

  up their road. And the cempasúchil flower that is orange and has a

  hard smell to attract these people.

Cempasúchil flower

This day is very special in Mexico; a lot of people can see their family that is dying, now. For example, my mother every November 2^nd smells like peppermint, and in the evening, she dreams with her grandfather. She smells like peppermint because her grandfather loved the peppermint. Also I want to know him, but He died before I borned. So one day of death, I dream with an old person who has a hat and white. He talked with me and also I met my aunt who died very young. When I woke up, I told to my mother what I dreamt; She was surprised, because I described her grandfather very well.

Banquet for death people

These kinds of things happen with a lot of people. Is very usual here in Mexico and also is a holyday very fun and beautiful.