el día de los muertos (day of the dead), el día de los difuntos

neither Halloween nor the feast of all saints evoke such a long popular response as does the feast of all souls, el día de los difuntos, el día de los muertos (the day of the dead), on November 2. it has been part of Hispanic piety over the centuries. In texas, there is a remnant of an old pagan custom of bringing food to the dead for their journey. The custom has been Christianized with the blessing of the bread of the dead. Within some communities, November 1^st is the day to remember those who have died as children, while November 2^nd is dedicated to remember the rest of family members, “our very own saints.” It was believed that on this date god allowed the souls of the dead, especially those in purgatory, to come back to earth to visit the places in which they had lived. On the evening of November 1^st, the families left the bread of the dead on the dinner table for the souls who might come to visit during the night. The “leftovers” of the meal of the souls were joyfully eaten by the family at breakfast on the following day. (the feast is much more elaborate in mexico.) the dead are not the object of fear and dread but are friendly ancestors who can sweeten the life of the living interceding for them with god.