Day Of The Dead: The Day Of The Dead

In Hispanic culture religion plays a large part when being raised and especially during holidays. This devotion to Christianity and Catholicism stems from the centuries they were being colonized by Spain. The Conquistador Hernan Cortez considered spreading and enforcing his religion onto others as a major priority when taking control of the New World. Once Mexico gained its independence the effect Spain had could be seen even now. The Time Almanac of 2013 reported that 96% of the Mexican people describe their religious beliefs as Christian and of that 87% were Roman Catholics. Since most of the population is Christian the country as a whole can be seen celebrating events such as Holy Week, and La Posada, and in the case of Day of the Dead

Mexico is also where Day of the Dead is most celebrated since it is where it originated from. Other countries know about this because it is the most iconic celebration in Mexico and the celebration and tradition we are known for. On November 1st and 2nd parades could be seen throughout the day while at night families gather to remember and honor deceased family members. Because Day of the Dead is a mix of both indigenous and European culture it offers a special and unique event that sparks curiosity with its beauty. The bright colors, the altars, the skulls and skeletons all form into Its indigenous origin comes from an Aztec tradition that honored the dead for an entire month. Even when the Spaniards tried to stop this tradition it found a way to continue and thrived. Day of the Dead may have started in Mexico but it has spread to other Latin countries and up North to the United States. Although Day of the Dead began as a religious celebration it has become a spiritual celebration that people of different cultures can participate in. In pop culture there have been two movies that have brought attention to Day of the Dead as of recently. Both Coco and the Book of Life have shined a light on the celebration with their animated films and have revealed a part of Mexican culture other countries did not know about