Día de los Muertos - Day of the Dead!

So our Halloween celebrations might be over, but in Mexico and other parts of South America, they have only just begun celebrating what is possibly their most important holiday celebration today and tomorrow, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)!

Sounding somewhat sombre and morbid to us, Día de los Muertos is anything but. Families get together to celebrate the lives of those who have passed away, by decorating graves with flowers and candles, then gathering to drink, eat play music and tell stories to remember them, such a lovely idea!

Mexicans believe that the souls of their loved ones come to visit and join in the celebrations, which can take place at home, in street parties or parades, and even in graveyards themselves which are bright and colourful at this time, and have musicians passing through them hired by the families to play the favourite songs of the dead.

The most recognised symbols of this Mexican tradition are the brightly decorated sugar skulls, created by skilled sugar crafters, and purchased by the families to decorate the graves.  Here the UK Liverpool has been having its own Día de los Muertos celebration this weekend, trying to break a world record for the most number of people wearing Catrines, the Mexican skull facemasks, as part of their Festival ‘Vamos’, which is celebrating all things Latin American!