.. Dia De los Muertos: A day of remembrance..

Dia De Los Muertos also known as Day Of The Dead, is a Mexican tradition where families create altars in remembrance of loved ones that are no longer with us. Altars that are decorated with favorites items, foods and the loved one(s) picture.

Now a mom, This is one tradition that I absolutely love teaching Frida about, her curiosity and intrigue about it is something I love to see. When we are getting ready to build our altar, I tell her stories about loved ones she sadly did not meet but knows of due to this beautiful custom, she loves to help in getting the items we will be placing on the altar. 

I remember when Frida first asked my about Why we celebrate Dia De Los Muertos? 

It caught me off guard and honestly I was a little confused, how do I explain DEATH to her, thats even though it is a natural part of life, it is still something we tend to shy away from the subject.
Before I could answer her she told me " Mommy, we celebrate Dia De Los Muertos to remember our family that we love so much!" 

I answered her "Yes, we love our Family and even though they are no longer with us, we celebrate our love for them."

Every year as soon as we start getting ready to create our altar, Frida loves to help in getting things prepared, we go buy favorite food items, flowers and other things we will place in the altar. 

While we create the altar we play music each one of our loved ones enjoyed listening to, share stories of our loved ones and creating new memories with each other. 

" The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living."

Dia de los Muertos is special to myself and has become special to Frida, we will keep setting up our altar every October 31-Nov.2. We will remember our loved ones with much love and understand that even though there presence is no longer with us their love will carry on.

" When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure."

.. Dia de los Muertos, Celebrate the cycle of life ..

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated in Mexico from November 1- 2. 

It is a celebration of the lives of the deceased in which we honor them with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life. It recognizes death as a natural part of life, it is a natural part of the life cycle. On the this day the dead are awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones.

The most familiar symbol row Dia De Los Muertos is are Calaveras (Skulls, Sugar Skulls), it may appear everywhere during the holiday in candied sweets, parade masks, dolls, face painting & more. Calaveras present themselves often in bright colors or portrayed enjoying life.
Ofrendas are an essential part of the celebration (Ofrenda means offering in spainsh.) Also know as altares (altars), these ofrendas often contain a deceased ones favorite food, drink and sweets, sweet bread ( pan de muerto) and a toy if the altar is for a child as well. Pictures of saints, Virgen De Guadalupe, and a crucifix may also be placed on the altar, along with bright yellow & orange marigolds (an Aztec power of the dead.) Ofrendas are placed at home as well as in the cemeteries.

Ive always loved Dia De Los Muertos, its always filled my heart with happiness as well as a bit of sadness to celebrate my loved ones who are no loner here. It is bittersweet but I love to celebrate their life with as much joy as they once did.
This year I will be setting up my very own FIRST ofrenda! Ive always helped my mom with hers as well as my mom in law. But this year Ive decided to do my own with the help of my Frida, I love how she asks question regarding the calaveras, or what the sugar skulls are for?
This is part of her culture, a tradition that I wish she follows with years to come and grows to love as much as I do.