The flower of the dead
Source: jmheatherly.medium.com
Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a two-day Mexican celebration where the living reunite with deceased loved ones. They set up special altares (altars) with ofrendas (offerings) to celebrate and remember lost souls. November 1st honors lost children, and the 2nd is for adults at midnight with a grand festival at noon.
The devout offer marigolds (Tagetes erecta), and some believe this is a beacon for lost souls. Cempazuchitl or Mexican Marigolds are often misnamed African Marigolds, but they derive from central America.
Día de Muertos is not Halloween! The holiday predates European conquest, and the people who practice it are modern descendants of the Aztec and other ancient cultures. A common custom is to share food and drink — a meal — with the dead.
Image by Ezhuttukari via Wikimedia
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