Posted on November 1, 2021
Key Points
This is an update of my post published on November 1, 2010:
All Saints’ Day, today, is a Catholic holiday that honors all the saints, known and unknown. Tomorrow is All Souls’ Day, a Catholic holiday that honors all the “faithful departed”—in other words, all the Catholics who have died.
Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) connects with these two holidays for many Mexican and Mexican-American families. It is a day to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. Many people take sugar skulls (yes, they are candy and can be eaten), marigolds, favorite foods and beverages, and memorabilia such as photos to graveyards. There people build altars or decorate the graves with these gifts.
Some people also build small shrines to the dead in their homes, visit one another, or even encourage children to knock on doors for small gifts of money and candy (which is very similar to trick-or-treating, and could be a passed-down influence). Parades and festivals are sometimes held. Of course, like all holidays, special foods are often served.
Celebrate!
Here are instructions for making crafts to celebrate Day of the Dead.
Also on this date:
Antigua and Barbuda’s National Day
Give Up Your Shoulds Day
Prime Meridian Day
Continental-drift guy / geophysicist Alfred Wegener’s birthday
Revolution Day in Algeria
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Liberty Day in the U.S. Virgin Islands
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All Saints Day
National Authors Day
Remembrance Day in Slovenia
Plan ahead:
Check out my Pinterest boards for:
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November holidays
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November birthdays
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Historical anniversaries in November
And here are my Pinterest boards for:
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December birthdays
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Historical anniversaries in December
