El Dia de los Muertos or the 'Day of the Dead', is a celebration of death as a part of the life cycle. The idea behind the event is the unity of life and death. The origin of this day lies in the time when the Catholic feast of All Souls Day merged with Native Indian rituals of death after the Spanish conquered Mexico in 1521.
Celebrated on the 1st of November, it is believed that the spirits of dead relatives return. Altars are cleaned and decorated, the day before, on October 31st, to welcome the honored sprints as guests. These altars are adorned with yellow marigolds, toys, candles, religious pictures, tissue paper decorations and personal mementos as offerings to the spirits. Even cigarettes, liquor, incense and food items, such as sugar; skulls, tamales and pan de muerto (bread of the dead) are offered to the spirits as an offering to take back with them, for enjoyment in the afterlife.
The spirits of children are expected at 4 am, for a few hours. Their departure is marked by blowing out of little candles and removal of their offerings from the altar. The adult spirits are expected to arrive by around 3 pm and large candles are lit to mark their arrival. It is believed that the spirits will go back weeping if they are not offered anything.
Some public schools in San Antonio also build these altars. Prayers and poems are held in public and private gatherings. Altars hold prayers at 8 pm and mass gathering is held at the church on the morning of November, 2nd.
The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park holds an exhibition of items and altars that mark the celebration of this day. Items created by people to celebrate the lives of their loved ones include fake skulls, paper marigolds and skeleton puppets. This is not a somber holiday, but rather a time to celebrate the lives of those who have passed away. A two day celebration is held at the Park with interactive cultural presentations, demonstrations and exhibits while celebrating in all that loved ones past cherished.
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