> In Mexico, the holiday known as Día de Muertos occurs around the time as whichother holiday?And the answer is: Halloween. Photo Courtesy: ChooseChigago.comThe Day of the Dead, or el Día de los Muertos,is typically celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of November. It's a time for familiesto briefly welcome back the souls of their deceased family members to celebratetheir lives. The day is a festive one, with food, drink, and celebration.Día de los Muertos is a celebration dating back thousands of years. While todayits festivities are a blend of Mesoamerican tradition, European religion andSpanish culture, its origins can be traced back some 3,000 years to the Aztecand Nahua people's tradition of honoring the dead. In their culture, death wasaccepted and prepared for as a part of life – in a yearly celebration honoringthe dead, the Nahua offered food, water and tools to aid the deceased on theirjourney in the afterlife. On el Día de los Muertos, the dead are honored throughsimilar ofrendas: small, personal altars, complete with candles, flowers, andpersonal momentos. Meanwhile, in Europe (specifically medieval Spain), pagan celebrations of thedead consisted of bonfires, food, and drink. On the first and second of Novemberwere two minor Catholic holidays: All Saints Day and All Souls Day. On All SoulsDay, pan de ánimas (literally "spirit bread") was brought to the graves of lovedones. In the 16th century, Spanish conquistadores began to bring such traditionsto the New World. Over the course of the holiday, the border between the spirit world and realworld is said to dissolve. Deceased loved ones are treated as honored guests inthe home, and celebrated rather than mourned. On November 1, known as Día de losInocentes, children who have died are honored by graves with white orchids andbaby's breath flowers. November 2, known as Día de los Muertos, honors adults.Their graves are decorated with marigolds.Did you know?Noisemakers such as shells or beads are worn during Día de los Muertos for avariety of reasons – one such explanation is that the loud noises raise the deadfrom their sleep to join the festivities. Since they are invisible to theliving, the idea is that they must be incorporated into the community in otherways. Check out the colors, culture and sights of Día de los Muertos below.