Day of the Dead Celebrations

Day of the Dead is one of my favorite holidays. Some people mistakenly equate it with Halloween, but Day of the Dead is much deeper than that.  It is huge in Mexico.

It isn’t about ghouls coming back to haunt the living so much as the living celebrating the lives of their lost loved ones. Those who passed are alive in memories. It’s celebrated on All Saints Day and All Souls Day on the Catholic calendar. These are the days in which the spirits of the dead are believed to return home and spend time with their relatives. To welcome them, the family builds altars in their honor. The altars include yellow marigolds, candles, photos of the deceased ones, cut tissue-paper designs, incense, food and beverages for the dead. It is a joyful time rather than a day of mourning.

In San Diego we also have our own little celebrations. Here are some photos from Old Town.