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| Top photo credit: Flickr/Wurglitsch |
Growing up in Puerto Rico in a Catholic home, we never really celebrated the Day of the Dead as it’s known in the United States, Mexico, and other countries. We commemorated the saints on All Saints Day on November 1st and remembered the dead during All Souls’ Day the following day on November 2nd. I didn’t know about Día de Muertos until I moved to the United States.
On All Saints Day we celebrate the holy men and women and ask for their prayers and intercessions. Being raised Catholic we commemorated the saints known, and unknown with a Mass. The church also has a procession with a special participation of the children dressed as saints.
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| Photo Credit: Commons Wikimedia |
The following day the Mass for Los Fieles Difuntos (All Souls’ Day) was often held and celebrated at the cemetery. This celebration also coincides with the popular Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead).
Both Day of the Dead and All Souls’ Day remember the dead. However, they celebrate it very differently. While All Souls’ Day dates back to the early centuries it is a Catholic celebration. Praying and remembering all the souls’ who departed. Especially those who departed, and are in the process of getting to heaven, through Christ. Catholics believed that some souls are waiting in purgatory, and with our prayers, they will be able to go into heaven. Day of the Dead on the other hand celebrates the departed and prepares for their return with a grand celebration with food, drink, music, fireworks, and an altar decorated with flowers, photos of the deceased, and a variety of food offerings for the dead.
As Catholics, we will continue to celebrate, and commemorate the saints and the souls. We will as a family also learn about this new and beautiful tradition of celebrating Día de Muertos.
Day of the Dead Series
I am delighted to take part in Multicultural Kid Blogs first annual Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) Series. Throughout this month bloggers will be sharing their posts on the following dates. Make sure you stop by and check them out!
October 7
October 8
October 13
October 15
October 19
October 21
October 22
October 23
October 28
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I appreciate your explanation here of the difference in the two holidays. I've never heard it explained that way, nor did I realize that Day of the Dead isn't celebrated as heavily in all Spanish-speaking countries. I'm excited for what else I will learn with this new series. Yay!!
Thanks Kali! I was clueless when it came to Dia de Muertos… I was like… what is that?? LOL It's indeed a beautiful tradition. 🙂
Perhaps your Puerto Rican family didn’t celebrate the day of the dead but mine did. My mother would make this cake made of corn meal with shredded coconut, raisins, cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. We would take this cake to family members . We celebrate with music, songs and shared photos and stories about decease families. Both my Puerto Rican families from different sides of the island celebrated this way. Sorry to hear your Catholic family didn’t celebrate this way.
Wow!! I didn’t know this. How beautiful that your family celebrated this way.
We all my respect you have combing 3 different culture in one. DIAS DE LOS MUERTO IS NOT HALLOWEEN.
WHITE CULTURE CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN OCT 1 TO 31
MEXICO DIAS DE LOS MUERTO 1 NOV AND 2 NOV ( origin from INDIGINA PEOPLE OF MEXICO)
PUERTO RICO DIA DE LOS MUERTOS Nov 2 (chritian RELIGION Origin )
Hi Miguel! Thanks for your comment but I don’t mention Halloween at all in my post.
Yo soy de la Isla y el dia de los muertos en P.R. se manda hacer misa a los difuntos y se visitan nuestros seres queridos en el cementerio y le dejamos cirios encendidos, pedimos por el eterno descanso de sus almas y dejamos flores. No celebramos con fiesta , ni cake , ó música.
¡Saludos Mrs. López! Así mismo es, nada de fiestas o cake como lo hacen con Día de Muertos.