Fancy extending spooky season past Halloween? Mexican celebration, the Day of the Dead, might be the perfect solution.
Traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, Dia de Muertos has its origins in 3,000-year-old Aztec death rituals. These would honour the dead, with family members providing food, water and tools to aid the deceased in their journey to Mictlán, the final resting place. This inspired the Day of the Dead practice in which people leave food or other offerings on their loved ones’ graves, or on floral altars called "ofrendas" in their homes. More modern Day of the Dead traditions stem from Victorian times, hence the style of the festival’s icon, La Calavera Catrina, a skeleton in Victorian dress.The popular Mexican holiday is a time for celebration and has become a hit in the UK over recent years with a number of top bars, restaurants and hotels getting involved. Whilst there have already been a number of parties across the city — as many venues combined the dates with Halloween bashes this past weekend — there are still a few Dia de Muertos events and parties to get involved with.
