Dia de Los Muertos is Spanish for “Day of the Dead”. It is a holiday celebrated by Latin Americans to pray for and remember friends and family members that have passed on. It is observed on November 1st in conjunction with the Catholic holiday, All Saints Day, on November 2nd.
The origin of this holiday traces back to Aztec mythology and it’s Queen of the Underworld: Mictecacihuatl. Queen Mictecacihuatl guards the bones of the departed while her husband, Mictlantecuhtli, rules over the afterlife. According to Aztec tradition after she was born she was sacrificed as an infant and thus is called the Lady of the Dead or Santa Muerte.
Some believe that on this day, it is easier for departed souls to visit the living. People visit cemeteries, make altars, give offerings of favorite items and food of their deceased to encourage their visits. In Mexico it is tradition to decorate with orange marigolds which are believed to attract souls to their offerings or ofrendas.
This tradition combines pre-hispanic rituals with Catholic rituals. It is common to see images of skulls incorporated with images of crosses or the crucifix. The indigenous cultures of Mexico often kept skulls as trophies as a symbol of life, death, and rebirth. This element has carried on to the modern day celebration of Dia de Los Muertos by way of sugar or chocolate skulls, skeleton figurines, pan de muerte and parades of people dressed as skeletons or calaveras.
There are many Dia de Los Muertos events in San Antonio. Here are some celebrations to check out:
The Fairmount Hotel 
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