AUSTIN (KXAN) — While Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is known for its tradition of celebrating the lives of loved ones who have passed away, the flowers used during the holiday tell their own story of life, death, and rebirth.The annual holiday is celebrated by the Latino culture to observe the loss of loved ones. The celebration comes from Mexican traditions and rituals. The popular holiday is usually celebrated with parades and festivals.
When is Dia de los Muertos celebrated
Dia de los Muertos traditionally begins on Nov. 1 and is celebrated through Nov. 2.
Austin’s Mexic-Arte Museum provided a breakdown of how the holiday is celebrated over those two days, which “blends the indigenous religious and cultural rituals with customs surrounding the Catholic holy days”:
- Nov. 1: All Saints’ Day – This day is used for saying prayers to saints and martyrs
- Nov. 1: Dia de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels) – This day is dedicated to the souls of the children who have passed on.
- Nov. 2: All Souls’ Day: This is when prayers and offerings are made to loved ones, “especially for souls in Purgatory.”
The offerings left on ofrendas can include candles, food, drinks and objects favored from loved ones’ lives, according to the museum.
Those who practice the holiday also set up ofrendas (altars) with photos of their loved ones who have passed on and then decorate them with las flores de ofrendas (flowers for the altars) and also leave offerings.
Flores de la ofrenda
While the marigold is the most common flower used for ofrendas, there are a few others that are used, and all symbolize something different in terms of life and death…