The Wackiest Mexican Halloween Traditions

The famous Halloween Night is a very popular feast in Mexico known as “the Day of the Dead” or “the Fest of the Dead”.  If kids roam around playing trick or treat and people hang pumpkin Lanterns in U.S.A and Britain, Mexico takes Halloween to a completely different level. In Mexico, Halloween Celebrations begin from the 27th of October itself. The Streets are filled with people dressed as dead people and ghosts and you will witness some really massive parades. The whole synergy and the spirit of the Halloween Festival is so beautiful in Mexico.

Celebrated on the 31st of October, Halloween is a Pagan Festival which was celebrated by the Celts known as Samhain.It is believed that the barriers between the real world and the spirit world are the weakest on this day.  The very next day i.e. 1st of November was declared as The All Saints Day by the Roman Catholic Church. It is believed that all the saints or all the good souls visit earth on this day. However, in Mexico, this feast marks its beginning on the 27 th of October. It is called the “Feast of the Holy Souls”. The Mexicans have the same belief as the All Saints Day, however, the arrival of the holy souls on earth is considered very holy and celebrated as a huge festival. Not only do people visit their loved ones graves, the three day fiesta also includes some of the Wackiest Mexican Halloween Traditions : -

• Picnic at Graveyards:  You heard it right! Normally, people visit their loved ones grave and light candles, however, in Mexico, the feast begins with a full decoration of the loved ones grave. People  adorn the graves with the most beautiful flowers . There is almost a half day picnic organized around the grave. The family sits together around the grave, eat lovely food , share their experiences and sing songs for the loved one. Since most people have more than one grave to attend to, the feast goes on for at two to three days. It is very important for the whole family to be present at this feast and most Mexicans follow this very seriously.

• Day of the Dead Parade: It is one of the most integral part of the Mexican Halloween Tradition. Most people think of it as the pride of Mexico. Hence, a lot goes into the decoration and costumes. The Day of the Dead Parade is a tourist attraction and people from all over the world visit Mexico to see the Day of the Dead Parade.

• No Tricks, Only Coins: Unlike kids in other parts of the world that go around tricking people for treats. Kids in Mexico roam around the streets with huge lanterns and ask for coins. This has been an old tradition in Mexico.

Mexicans believe in honoring the dead and their amazing and sincere efforts to make this feast so lively will make any dead soul feel alive again!