Mexico celebrates Day of the Dead holiday with skulls and marigolds

46 Hottest Gifts Likely To Sell Out Before The Holidays In 2022 6 Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards Of 2022 Instead of being a sombre occasion, mourning is swapped for celebration. People create beautiful altars – called ofrendas in Spanish – at which they make offerings to their dead family members, which are traditionally believed to encourage visits from ghosts and allow the deceased to hear their prayers (Picture: Getty Images) Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Beautiful bright yellow marigolds, family photos and favorite foods, drinks and objects are also placed at the altar. Huge feasts are prepared so the living can share a meal with their dead loved ones, in the same way they would have if they had still been alive (Picture: Getty Images) Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Skulls – or calveras in Spanish – are the most recognizable objects from the Day of the Dead. They are usually painting with a smile, symbolizing laughing in the face of death. They appear as sugar sweets, are made in clay or are painted on people’s faces (Picture: Getty Images) Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Marigolds are believed to be pathways which bring departed souls to their offerings due to their strong colour and scent. They are called Flor de Muerto – Spanish for ‘flower of dead’ – and they symbolize the beauty and fragility of life (Picture: Getty Images) Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. The celebrations are split into three sections – día de los Angelitos (day of the little angels), día de los Difuntos (day of the adults) and día de los Muertos (day of all the dead). The day of the little angels begins on November 1 at midnight, where the spirits of dead children are believed to return to their families for a day. Ofrendas are made for them and the names of the children are written on sugar skull (Picture: Getty Images) Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. At midnight on November 2, the celebrations shift to honour dead adults and ofrendas are made in a similar way. But the evening sees a big meal where families gather to play games, reminisce, play music and drink tequila together (Picture: Getty Images) Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. The final day, November 3, is the grand finale of the Day of the Dead celebrations. People often come together in the streets dressed as skeletons with their faces painted and visit local cemeteries. People often take this opportunity to clean and restore the graves of the departed (Picture: Getty Images) Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Contrary to popular opinion, the Day of the Dead is not a Mexican version of Halloween. Halloween is the observance of Allhallowtide, and originated as a Celtic festival where people would gather to light bonfires and wear scary costumes to ward off ghosts (Picture: Getty Images) Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Get your need-to-know latest news, exclusives, feel-good stories, analysis and more by signing up to Metro’s News Updates newsletter Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Send MSN Feedback Please give an overall site rating: Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window