Santa Fe parade on Saturday Oct. 29.(Garrison Wells/Observer)

 

Today is Day of the Dead.

Also known as All Souls Day, Dia de los Muertos is about reunion with deceased family members and honoring their memory.

Typically the dead are honored with a fully decorated ofrenda (“offering” in English), food, treats and music.

According to DayoftheDead.holiday, originally the tradition of honoring the dead was of Aztec culture in the 1500s. After the Spanish conquest, the tradition combined with the Spanish religious holiday All Souls (or all saints for Roman-Catholic tradition) day.

Since then, Dia de los Muertos has been celebrated in Mexico and areas of Mexican descent like New Mexico.

According to the website here are three phases of the holiday:

  1. November 1 at 12 am is Dia de los Angelitos or Spirits of the Children.
  2. November 2 at 12 am is Dia de los Difuntos or Spirits of the Adults.
  3. November 2 at noon is Dia de los Muertos or Spirits of All the Dead.

One other way that the holiday is celebrated is Muertos y Marigolds. Marigolds are the traditional flower used to honor the dead. Marigolds are believed to be the pathways that guide the spirits to their ofrendas.

Albuquerque will hold their annual Muertos y Marigolds parade and fiesta at 1 pm on Sunday, Nov. 6 at Gutierrez-Hubbell House, 6029 Isleta Blvd SW. The Marigold Parade for 2022 will consist of a walking, non-motorized Procession at the Gutiérrez-Hubbell house in the South Valley.

Santa Fe had their first Dia de Muertos parade on Saturday Oct. 29. See video above.