DAY OF THE DEAD

What is it? / Who celebrates it?

Day of the dead, also known as Dia de los muertos is a Spanish festival which is
celebrated by Mexicans in Mexico. This festival is celebrated every year on
November 1st for dead children and infants, also on November 2nd for deceased
adults.

What do they do? Why?

In this festival, people put up photos of their family on the ofrenda, they do this
because they believe that if they don’t do it, their ancestors are not able to cross the
bridge that allows them to come over to this world. They also give peace offerings for
their family to take when they return. This festival is like us doing funerals for the
members of our family that have passed away.

What are the three deaths?

According to the Mexican tradition, people die three deaths: The first death is when
our bodies cease to function, when our hearts no longer beat of their own accord,
when our gaze no longer has depth or weight, when the space we occupy slowly
loses its meaning. The second death comes when the body is lowered into the
ground, returned to mother earth, out of sight. The third death, the most definitive
death, is when there is no one left alive to remember us.

What film is Dia de los muertos about?

Coco is a movie about Dia de los muertos, this movie is about a boy who loves music
but his family hates it so he tries to take his “great, great grandpa’s guitar” but it was
actually cursed so he goes to an amazing world full of skeletons and tries to find his
great, great grandpa so he could give him a blessing so he can get back to his world.