Celebrating the dead, in the United States, only means one thing - "Halloween". Contrary to popular belief the Day of the Dead, in Mexico, has absolutely nothing to do with such American celebration. In Mexico, the Day of Dead is actually a celebration of the afterlife. This three day holiday involves the entire family, food, drink, flowers and prayers which are all gifted to deceased relatives. The Day of the Dead festivities are more of a joyous "reunion" with relatives that have passed.

The celebrations dedicated to the dead date back to approximately 3500 B.C. In Mexico, the Aztec Indians believed that when the physical body passed the spirit went to live on in a place referred to as Mictlan, which is where the Goddess Mictecacihuatl resided. It was there where the souls rested for the entire year until they are able to return to visit their loved ones, on the Day of the Dead.

These festivities initially took place during the months of July and August but, the Spanish conquistadores changed the date to November 1st and 2nd, to coincide with their "Day of all Saints" and "Day of Souls" Catholic celebrations. In modern times, the festivities take place from October 31st to November 2nd, which is the official culmination of the Day of Dead festivities.

The celebrations start with the building of a small altar in the home of the relatives. Such is adorned with marigolds, which is the official "flower for the dead". Mexicans believe that "the scent of the marigold serves to attract and bring back the souls of the dead". (teacherlink.ed.usu.edu).

Whether plain or ornate, all altars will have some degree of food and water as an offering to the deceased. The marigolds are also always present.

On these altars the relatives of the deceased will place the favorite foods the deceased enjoyed while alive, along with his or her favorite drinks. Pictures of the deceased will also be found on the altar along with numerous candles. While some altars are plain there are others which are very ornate.

One thing which you will find, no matter how plain or ornate the altar may be, is bottled water. Mexicans believe that their deceased require of lots of water during their long journey back to be with them on the Day of Dead celebrations.

Day of Dead foods that are prepared that week consist of "Pan de los Muertos" or ""Bread of the Dead. Inside the loaf sweet, flat loaf of bread the baker inserts a plastic toy skeleton. The loaves are shaped in the form of skull and crossbones. Whoever finds the toy skeleton is believed to have a very prosperous following year. This ritual is somewhat similar to the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans where whoever finds the plastic baby, in the King Cake, will be the one to throw the next Mardi Gras party.

If the deceased being honored is a child the food is different than that honoring an adult. The souls of the "angelitos" or "little angels", as the dead children are referred to, consists of fruits and candies such as the sugar skulls which are sold all over the city. Other angelito foods consumed during the Day of Dead celebrations include pumpkin puddings and cakes, and hot chocolate or fruit atole and sodas, to drink. The altar for the child will also have a miniature Day of Dead sweet bread.

If the deceased is a child, the "angelito" altar is adorned with candies, pies and cakes.

For the adults' altars there's Pan de Los Muertos (Bread of the Dead), spicy pork rinds and alcoholic beverages.

For the adults the food is different. Firstly, it is the food that the deceased like the most while alive. This includes tamales, corn cakes and enchiladas and different cooked vegetables. The foods for the adults are also much spicier. Beverages, aside from hot chocolate and sodas, also include alcoholic choices such as tequila, mescal and pulque, all made from the agave plant. Another beverage which is very popular amongst the adults is spiked version of the fruit atole.

The procession is a Roman Catholic ritual. It is customary to walk the "procession", a gathering of people behind the effigy of a virgin or saint. The procession normally starts after the mass has ended, following a specific route and ending in the same church where it started. People in the procession normally pray all along the walk and, some even carry lit candles. The Day of Dead processions end in the local cemeteries and the relatives carry pictures of their deceased.

One of the many Day of Dead activities includes the washing and adorning the graves. In some cases the families also even paint the tombstone of the relative who is being honored. Marigolds, the "flower of the dead" are found everywhere in the cemetery adorning the gravesites along with candle, which are all lit at nighttime.

Throughout the Day of Dead holidays, the relatives will visit the grave to pray for the soul of their loved one. Some families take food and will even have a sort of picnic, at graveside, telling funny anecdotes and stories about the deceased, in remembrance.

The graves are laden with bright orange marigolds and lit with a multitude of candles. The cleaning and arranging of the graves is the duty of the women in the family. Traditionally, the altar is lit on the 31st to await the arrival of the dead children, los angelitos. At twilight on November 1st, until dawn of the 2nd, the candles at graveside are again lit and this time the vigil is for the departed adults.