According to a Mexican legend, once a year souls of dead people visit their living relatives on Earth. It happens on the first two days of November. And, although the date of the memories of the dead coincides with the celebration of the Catholic all Saints Day in Europe, Mexican day of the dead is celebrated separately for several centuries and always attracts worldwide attention. It is believed that on the night of 31 October the souls of dead children are arriving at our land, then adults come on November 1st, and later they all return to the sky on November 2nd.
A few days before the holiday, Mexicans begin to create, so to say, memory altars in their homes and welcome the souls with varied gifts: flowers, food, drinks, candles and incense. People can buy everything they need on specially markets that are opened before the holiday. So, the altar is eventually decorated with bread, peanuts, sugar cane, chocolate, beer and even Coca-Cola. In general, all the products that a dead person loved to eat and drink.
An indispensable attributes of the day of the dead are painted skulls and skeletons made of sugar, which like bread and other food is "given" to dead. It is believed that the dead eat the essence or some flavor of such gifts. If you've never tried sugar skull in your chilhood, for young Mexican sweet-tooths it is a usual thing, children learn not to be afraid of the death that way.
At night, all central streets of cities and towns turn into a platform for the carnival procession: here you will see walking skeletons, a death with a scythe, and the heroine of the Mexican terrible tales - Mother ghost Llorona.
To feel the holiday atmosphere, we suggest you to visit Xochimīlco, it’s a district in Mexico City. Here you can go to one of the first Catholic cathedrals, as well as see the annual children's play – asking for sweets. Knocking on houses, small children sing songs, and adults thank them with sweet edible skulls. These days there is a strong smell of incense on the streets of Xochimīlco because the locals believe that the soul of the dead will find a way to its home in this way.
Or visit the markets of Puebla city. There is on the day of the dead eve, you will find a huge number of souvenirs: from wooden boxes with skeletons look like Mariachi musicians to chocolate skulls and clothes of death. What a delicious smell of freshly baked “bread of dead”!
And in one of the most colorful Mexican States Oaxaca, you will see the famous night masquerade procession or even drop in on the cemetery! The most people go there right on the day of the dead. At night, there are burning candles, people sing songs, laugh and remember the dead.
If you want to take some nice pictures, go to a Mexican park Xcaret. Here you will see one of the most colorful show about the culture of Mexico, try on a skeleton costume and decorate your face with a colored skull.
