Mexico comes alive during annual Day of the Dead celebrations

MEXICO CITY — Bright orange marigolds, glowing candles and faces painted like the elegant skeletons known as catrinas fill the streets of Mexico every year during the country’s Day of the Dead celebrations.

Festivities begin in October and lead up to Nov. 1 and 2, when the souls of deceased loved ones are believed to temporarily return to earth to reunite with their families.

No one knows when the first observance took place, but it is rooted in agriculture-related beliefs from Mexico’s pre-Hispanic era. Catholic traditions were incorporated into the celebration after the Spanish conquest in 1521.

Today, celebrations are marked by massive parades running along Mexico City’s main avenue. Streets, businesses and markets are cloaked in orange Mexican marigold flowers, or cempasuchil, believed to light the path of the dead back to earth with their bright colors. Traditional pan de muerto, or bread of the dead, lines the display cases of bakeries.

Families decorate altars to their loved ones in their homes, placing treats, food and mezcal as offerings next to photos of their loved ones.

On the night of Nov. 1, families gather at cemeteries across the country to reconnect with their dead just as their ancestors have…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/world