Dia de los Muertos History & Tradition
Dia de los Muertos Recipes | Official Press Release
- Día de los Muertos is a tradition that celebrates the memory of dead ancestors whose souls visit the living once a year. The celebration, as it is practiced in Mexico and now increasingly in Hispanic cities in the U.S., is a fusion of Catholic and Aztec traditions.
- Mesoamerican cultures believed that death was part of the cycle of life and so it should be celebrated and honored. Death was considered a rebirth to a new life.
- Aztecs honored their dead during a celebration on the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, which falls approximately in the beginning of August. With the spread of Catholicism, the traditions became interwoven with the feasts of All Saints and All Souls days in November.
- Dia de los Muertos is officially on November 2nd, though it’s celebrated on both November 1st (All Saints Day) and 2nd (All Souls Day).
- On this day, children play with skull dolls, families decorate altars for deceased loved ones leaving them flowers, personal tokens and food.
- Food is a key part these celebrations and altar offerings. Because of its healing and protective qualities, honey is a central ingredient used in Dia de los Muertos recipes.
- While Dia de los Muertos celebrations can be witnessed almost anywhere in Mexico, some cities are better known for their festivities. Some of the top destinations include Mixquic, Mexico; Janitzio and Patzcuaro, Michoacan; Oaxaca, Oaxaca; Merida, Yucatan and Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas.
- In the U.S, major Dia de los Muertos celebrations take place in San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA and Phoenix, AZ. Other cities with large populations of Mexican-Americans and Mexican immigrants also celebrate the holiday.
100% Pure Honey and Dia de los Muertos
- Ancient traditions celebrated honey as a symbol of many spiritual qualities including immortality, healing, protection, hope and wisdom.
- Honey was a basic food cultivated by many Meso-American cultures including the Aztecs and Mayans. The Mayan god Ah Muzenkab was the god of bees and honey; two important staples of their society.
- Traditional Dia de los Muertos foods, including pan de muerto, buñuelos, calaveritas and atole are made with honey as a way to celebrate the living and the spirit’s crossing into the afterlife.