Día de Muertos
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The multi-day holiday (Oct. 31 - Nov.2) focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey. In 2008 the tradition was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. -Wiki
Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Visitors also leave possessions of the deceased at the graves.
It is a good example of the way indigenous holidays have been adapted and interpreted into Christianity.
Personally, I find it a great way to remember family and friends no matter which tradition we may come from. All Saints' Day, Día de Muertos, or whatever you want to call it- take time to remember your ancestors and friends who have died.
One side note from the Wikipedia article cited earlier:
The holiday is sometimes called Día de los Muertos in English-speaking countries, a back-translation of its original name, Día de Muertos.Credits:
- Marigold by Lajuarezo - Template:Mi galeria, CC BY 3.0, Link
- Traditional Altar by Eneas de Troya (http://www.flickr.com/photos/eneas/4072192627/) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
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