The Day of the Death (rough draft)

Every culture has its different Holidays to celebrate. Mexico has a really weird, but very important holiday to celebrate. This holiday is best known as the day of the death (El dia de los muertos) This day is somewhat similar to Halloween here in the United States. Instead of being celebrated just the thirty first of October is celebrated the thirty first through the second day of November. What is mostly being celebrated on this day is the death of peoples loved ones. Specifics of the celebration vary with regions, but one of the most important customs is the making of elaborate altars to welcome departed spirits home. Vigils are held and families often go to cemeteries and fix up the graves of their loved ones. One of the common foods that cannot be missed is the bread of the death (pan de muerto) that can conceal a miniature skeleton.

Back when I was seven years old was my first day of the death celebration. Both my parents are from Chihuahua, Mexico and back on those days we use to live in El Paso, Texas. From El Paso to Chihuahua is just a five hour drive. So we use to go more often than what we go now. I remember that on that year November second was a Saturday so we left from El Paso Friday evening and arrived to Chihuahua Friday night . When we arrived to my grandmas house all my aunties were there with all the ingredients of the food they were going make the next day.

Next morning all of my of my aunties arrived very early at my grandmas house. The plan was to make tamales, pozole and of course the famous bread of the death. While my aunties were cooking one of my cousins and me were helping my grandma make a vigil for our recent passed loved ones. For the altar we used two different size tables a big one and a small one. The small one went on top of the big one and we cover them with colorful table covers. Then my grandma took out photos of one of her sister and one of my grandpas cousin who had passes away July of that year. We put their pictures in beautiful picture frames that had colorful skeletons dancing all over the picture frames. Then we spread all over the vigil bright colored marigolds, while my grandma brought us two big candles of the virgin Mary to put on each side. We also put about four skulls of sugar that were painted with beautiful bright colors all over. Its said that when doing this vigils we are suppose to put something that the death people like when they were alive. So for my grandpas cousin we put a bottle of tequila because he used to love to drink tequila. For my grandmas sister we put a plate of homemade cookies because she use to love cooking. When we finish with the altar we went to the cemetery and cleaned their graves and put fresh marigold flowers mixed with red and white roses.

The evening arrived and the food was ready and so were we. All the family kneeled down in front of the vigil, my mom lighted the candles and we started praying the rosary. We fallowed my grandma as she lead in the prayers. When we finish praying all the family stand up and went in straight to the dining room and sat while two of my aunties served the pozole and tamales. Finally everyone was settled in with their food, we all started eating and talking about the good memories we had from the people that had departed already. While we enjoyed the homemade spicy tamales and the warm salty pozole. From the look of every ones eyes I could see they really liked the food as much as I did. I think this holiday and Christmas is the only days I see my family sit together and enjoy the company of one another.

At last came the warm spongy bread of the death. After eating dinner we all enjoyed a piece of bread with a cup of hot chocolate while other drank coffee. Even though many think this is a holiday to cry for the lifes of the one that are not with us any more its not. Its actually a holiday were its believed that they come back to earth and spend some time with their families and leave the next day. Therefore the families celebrate and honor them with things they liked when they were alive. To many people this holiday seems very weird, but to us is one of the most important one through out the year.