The Basics
Customs
Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead in media
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When is Day of the Dead celebrated in Mexico?
In reality, Day of the Dead spans 3 days: From November 1st to November 3rd.
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This is a common sight during the Day of the Dead?HINT: It looks like a woman.
It's common to see Catrinas during the Day of the Dead.
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What happens on November 1st?
Not many people may know this, but we receive the souls of the children and babies who sadly passed away. This day is called All Saints' Day.
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There are a lot of movies based on the Day of the Dead, but this is perhaps the most popular one.
Coco is probably the most popular movie about Day of the Dead worldwide.
Did you know that in Japan, this movie is called "Remember Me" and it came out until March?
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This is what families put to receive their deceased ones.
Families set up an Altar to receive their deceased ones. Do you know its elements?
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What are the elements of the altar?
An altar usually has these elements.
*A portrait or photo (probably the most important element of the altar, as seen in "a certain Pixar movie")
*Personal items of the deceased, though this is optional
*Bread of the Dead
*Water
*Food and drinks, usually the favorite of the deceased when it lived
*Candles
*Salt
*Sugar Skulls
*Mat
*Perforated paper
*Marigold flowers and a flower road
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What happens on November 2nd?
We receive the spirits of those who passed away early.
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This is probably the second most popular movie about Day of the Dead. Unlike Coco, this one is a Mexican production.
Book of Life (El Libro de la Vida in Spanish) is the second most popular movie about Day of the Dead.
Have you noticed the curious art style of the movie? It's a contribution by Jorge R. Gutiérrez, who created the Nickelodeon cartoon El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera.
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Is Day of the Dead a sad moment for those still living?
There may be some tears on this celebreation, but it's hardly a sad moment. In fact, there's a lot of jubile in this day.
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What does a family do if they don't have an altar for the dead?
They typically go to the cemetry and visit the tombstone of their deceased relatives and place the altar objects there.
Before and after the celebration, they clean the tombstone.
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What happens on November 3rd?
The spirits go back to the world of the dead and people remove the ofrendas from the altars. If not, the spirits will refuse to leave our world.
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Just before Coco premiered, there was another popular depiction of Day of the Dead in a video game. Can you guess from which one?
HINT: It's on Nintendo Switch.
There's a depiction of Day of the Dead in Super Mario Odyssey in the very first kingdom Mario and Cappy visit: the Sand Kingdom and its capital, Tostarena.
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Do people go to school or work on this day (November 2nd)?
Save for some exceptions, this is a National Holiday, which means people don't work or go to school so they can spend some time with their deceased ones.
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Personal opinion time: What objects would you like to see on your altar?
I'd like to have ________________________.
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Personal opinion time: Should we honor and remember our loved ones who passed away only on Day of the Dead?
YES or NO and why.
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Another popular depiction of Day of the Dead among gamers is in this video game series. Can you guess it?
The Rayman series has also depicted Day of the Dead in Rayman Origins (Land of the Livid Dead) and Rayman Legends (Fiesta de los Muertos).
