Basics

• Skulls are a recurring theme throughout Day of the Dead festivities.Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
  
  Celebrated concurrently with the Catholic All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day on November 1st and 2nd, the Day of the Dead is divided into two parts in most of Mexico. On November 1st, Día de los Inocentes or Day of the Innocents, deceased children are honored. On November 2nd, deceased adults are given similar treatment on Día de los Muertos, Día de los Difuntos, or Day of the Dead. In addition to Mexico, the holiday is celebrated in some communities in the United States and in Brazil, Guatemala, Haiti and Ecuador. Similar festivities occur in other countries throughout Europe with Roman Catholic heritages. It is important to note that traditions vary from city to city, country to country and culture to culture.
  
  

Honoring Children

• For Day of the Innocents, relatives visit the graves of deceased children to clean them and build private altars. They bring gifts of toys, favorite foods, favorite drinks and offerings of in the form of the child's favorite candy or trinket. These gifts are placed in the altar for the child.
  
  

Honoring Adults

• For the Day of the Dead, relatives honor deceased adults with private altars and offerings, though the offerings take on a decidedly adult feel. After cleaning the grave of a dead relative, they will decorate it with flowers and place offering jars of atole, a hot chocolate drink served with tamales, alcoholic drinks like tequila, mezcal or pulque, pictures of the dead and the favorite foods of the departed in the altar. Offerings are also left outside the home, alongside pillows or blankets, as a welcome gesture to the departed spirit.
  
  

Purpose

• Often, families will gather around the grave of the departed to tell stories or share poems, which are often humorous in nature. Dancing is often a part of the festivities, with some wearing shells. The idea is that the noise from the shells will wake the dead. After all, activities surrounding the Day of the Dead are a way to remember and honor the dead and to encourage a visit from them.