The purpose of this paper is to introduce the tradition, celebration of Dia de Los Muertos, Day of the Dead, as a healing ritual or modality for grieving the loss of loved ones through death. Dia de los muertas (Day of the Dead) is a major day of celebration in the Mexican culture.
Death of our loved ones, whether it be family or friends or another significant person in our lives, is a traumatic and sad event, but the Latin culture elevates and deals with deep grief with celebratory events on November 2nd each year. This custom has roots in the ancient Indigenous culture there–Aztec, Mayan & other Indian cultures. Later, when the Spanish arrived in Mexico, this celebration was integrated into the Catholic Religious traditions. With the wave of evangelization, the Day of the Dead rituals have taken different forms, however, pre-Hispanic elements remain predominant.
Dia de los Muertos
