Growing up in California I have always been around the
traditional Mexican Holiday, Dia de Los Muertos. I had a classmate in Junior
High School who was from a Mexican Family and one year she took me with them to
celebrate the holiday and she opened my eyes to a whole new world. Dia de Los Muertos (or Day of the Dead) is a holiday held on November 1st, when
people honor their loved ones that have passed away in the most colorful,
vibrant and amazing way possible. People make alters for loved ones in their
homes and also go to the cemetery and decorate the graves of family members
with lovely tissue flowers, countless candles and marigolds. There is also many
special traditional foods prepared for the day,which are all rich with exotic flavor, colorful and delicious. My impression of Dia de Los
Muertos is that this is a day the Mexican people celebrate the lives of their
loved ones and cherish the great times that they spent together, instead of dwelling in sorrow that they are gone.
I started to enjoy the holiday in a
new way after a trip to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico a couple of years ago.
We were there during Dia de Los Muertos on chance so I feel really lucky
because the timing really did enhance our entire experience.
I feel so lucky that we were able to enjoy so many wonderful things about Mexican Culture and tradition in such a short trip. The beaches, the Mayan Ruins, the art, the food and the people we met were all so amazing. I feel like I just scratched the surface on that trip and look forward to many more adventures in Mexico in the near future. What a country! What a culture!
