These literary calaveras eventually became a popular part of DГa de los Muertos celebrations. Literary calaverasД¬alavera means вЂњskull.вЂќ But during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, calavera was used to describe short, humorous poems, which were often sarcastic tombstone epitaphs published in newspapers that poked fun at the living.

The smoke from copal incense, made from tree resin, transmits praise and prayers and purifies the area around the altar. Scattered from altar to gravesite, marigold petals guide wandering souls back to their place of rest. Marigolds are the main flowers used to decorate the altar. If one of the spirits is a child, you might find small toys on the altar. As such, theyвЂ™re loaded with offerings-water to quench thirst after the long journey, food, family photos, and a candle for each dead relative. These arenвЂ™t altars for worshipping rather, theyвЂ™re meant to welcome spirits back to the realm of the living. The centerpiece of the celebration is an altar, or ofrenda, built in private homes and cemeteries. It takes place on November 1 and 2-All SaintsвЂ™ Day and All SoulsвЂ™ Day on the Catholic calendar-around the time of the fall maize harvest.

TodayвЂ™s DГa de los Muertos celebration is a mash-up of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Christian feasts. The dead were still members of the community, kept alive in memory and spirit-and during DГa de los Muertos, they temporarily returned to Earth. For these pre-Hispanic cultures, death was a natural phase in lifeвЂ™s long continuum. Unauthorized use is prohibited.Дay of the Dead originated several thousand years ago with the Aztec, Toltec, and other Nahua people, who considered mourning the dead disrespectful.

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