Halloween and Día de los Muertos

     One of the most exciting and interesting holidays in Mexico is Día de los Muertos - Day of the Dead. Ever since I began studying Spanish, I have been fascinated with Día de los Muertos. For those of you who do not know what it is, it is a holiday in which people remember their loved ones who have died. They make elaborate altars in their homes, decorated with papel picado, candles, photos, skeleton figurines, calaveras, food, marigolds, and anything else that the deceased was interested in. In some places, the cemeteries are decorated with skeletons, flowers, and candles and people spend the night there celebrating with their families. The people believe that on this day, the souls of their loved ones come back to visit them. Interesting, right? I was so excited to be in Mexico during Día de los Muertos, but here in Torreón, it is not celebrated like in other places in Mexico. Some people will put altars in their homes, and some schools will have a presentation for the kids. The cemeteries are far to dangerous to visit. Essentially, there is nothing in the city that celebrates the holiday.
     Halloween, on the other hand, is NOT a holiday that is celebrated in Mexico. However, here in northern Mexico, it is a bigger celebration than Día de los Muertos. There are Halloween parties for children at the malls, several Halloween stores open throughout the city, and costume parties at peoples' houses. The kids even go trick-or-treating, saying "Queremos Halloween! Queremos Halloween!" My students are far more excited about Halloween than Día de los Muertos.
     During Día de los Muertos, I am headed for Zacatecas, which is further South than Torreón. I hope I will get to see some of the traditions that I have been learning about for so long!