ShmoopTube

00:03

[Dino and Coop singing]

00:13

When we think about death, we usually think of stuff that's pretty gloomy and sad…y'know, [Man thinking of a full moon over a graveyard]

00:18

graveyards, coffins…that sort of thing.

00:20

One word that rarely comes to mind? [Skeleton opens a door and puts a party hat on]

00:22

"Party."

00:23

…Unless you happen to know a gravedigger who's really into balloons and streamers… [Gravedigger putting balloons and streamers into the grave]

00:27

But weirdly cheerful gravediggers aren't the only time death and parties go hand-in-hand… [Gravedigger dancing]

00:32

If we're talking about The Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, then we're absolutely [Confetti goes off over Dino and Coop]

00:36

going to think party time!

00:38

The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday that's celebrated in the central and southern regions [Day of the Dead masks appear over Mexico]

00:42

of Mexico…

00:43

…and anywhere else where people of Mexican ancestry live.

00:47

So whether you're in Mexico City…

00:48

…or chilling out with some Mexican buddies at the South Pole, you can celebrate the Day [People clinking glasses at the South Pole]

00:51

of the Dead, no sweat.

00:52

Seriously, no sweat.

00:53

The South Pole is pretty cold. [Penguin with a party hat on]

00:56

The main focus of the holiday is praying for and remembering friends and family who have [Woman praying next to a gravestone that says family and friends]

01:00

died.

01:01

But this definitely isn't a gloomy affair…

01:02

…it's actually positive and upbeat! [Woman puts a party hat on the gravestone]

01:04

People gather together and celebrate the lives of the people they loved, and as you can probably

01:08

imagine, it's a lot more fun than being sad and quiet for three days straight. [Man in a dark room looking upset]

01:13

The Day of the Dead celebrations go back all the way to the Aztecs…

01:16

…and rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors go back even further, as far as 2,500 to 3,000 [Timelines showing the dates]

01:23

years ago.

01:24

They might not have had streamers or party hats back then, but they definitely had death,

01:29

so they were good to go. [Man gets hit by arrows]

01:31

One common Day of the Dead tradition is the making of ofrendas. [Woman stood by an ofrenda]

01:34

These are ritual altars, and one is made for each individual being honored. [Dino next to a blackboard]

01:38

They often have three levels: the top level includes pictures of the dead person, as well [The items appearing]

01:43

as religious symbols…

01:44

…the second level contains things meant to make the dead feel welcome, like their

01:48

favorite food…

01:49

…and the third level generally has lit candles, as well as cleaning implements like a washbasin,

01:53

mirror, soap, and towel.

01:55

Because there's nothing ghosts like more than candles and cleanliness. [Ghost appears]

01:58

People will also often visit the graves of their loved ones, bringing flowers and gifts [Relatives at graves]

02:02

that symbolize the dead individual.

02:03

Not quite as good as soap, but hey, the dead take what they can get. [Ghost appears and the woman drops her flowers]

02:07

The skull is a common symbol of the holiday, and people even make skulls out of chocolate [Recipe book showing how to make a chocolate skull]

02:11

and sugar.

02:12

Which in our humble opinion, is the most delicious and most creepy thing you can eat! [Kids look shocked as dad scares them with a chocolate skull]

02:16

Nothing like munching through the parietal bone whilst sipping on a cold glass of milk.

02:20

So the next time you think about death, think of the cheery, upbeat Day of the Dead festival! [Guy thinking about death with his thumbs up]

02:25

Though, uh…we wouldn't necessarily recommend bringing chocolate skulls to every funeral

02:29

you attend… [Man offers chocolate skull to grieving woman and she cries]

Full Transcript