katieslider's video: Day of the Dead traditional dance

There was a group of Mexcan dancer in Down Town of Hayward, they dressed with colorful costumes, decorated with beautiful feathers, skull-shaped masks that I thought you might be like to see. Day of the Dead is an interesting holiday celebrated in central and southern Mexico during the chilly days of November 1 & 2. Even though this coincides with the Catholic holiday called All Soul's & All Saint’s Day, the indigenous people have combined this with their own ancient beliefs of honoring their deceased loved ones. They believe that the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31, and the spirits of all deceased children (angelitos) are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours. On November 2, the spirits of the adults come down to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them. Although it is a holiday from far away in southern Mexico, it's a holiday one can personalize and integrate into their own religious and cultural beliefs. It is more of a cultural holiday than a religious one. Traditionally, families spend some time around the altar, praying and telling anecdotes about the deceased. In some locations celebrants wear shells on their clothing, so when they dance, the noise will wake up the dead; some will also dress up as the deceased. ebrate the memories of our loved ones who are now gone... through art, cooking, music, building ofrendas, doing activities with our children, we can recount family stories, fun times and lessons learned... not how the person died, but how they lived. I hope you come to enjoy Day of the Dead as much as I do!