Article: Day of the Dead, observed Nov.2, has origins in pre-Hispanic Mexico; Celebrations mix playfulness with honoring the dead.(NEWS)

El Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is celebrated every Nov. 2, near the Christian commemorations marking All Saints Day and All Souls Day, but its origins date to pre-Hispanic Mexico. Instead of fearing death, people in Mexico and other Latin American countries are almost playful about it. In some areas of Mexico, the elaborate celebration includes colorful marigolds and grinning skulls made of sugar, ceramic and paper.

Mexicans celebrate the day with fireworks, a procession or simply by erecting a small altar decorated with offerings. People also go to local cemeteries to clean and paint the graves of relatives, and they arrange for masses to be said in ...

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