MAIN Holidays Dias de los Muertos - Days of the Dead

In this festive celebration - which survives from the early days of pre-Christian Mexico - everyone is encouraged to laugh at the inevitable.

The Day of the Dead, or All Souls Day, not only honors the dearly departed, but makes light of death with spirited resurrections of ancient customs each year from November 1 - 2.

One particular tradition that lives on is a recipe for sugar skulls, which are brightly decorated and served up by Day of the Dead devotees and party hosts with ghoulish glee.

Check out traditions old and new online - as Dia de los Muertos comes alive and kicking into the Internet Age - with outstanding photo galleries, folk art exhibits, e-cards, video clips, history, craft ideas, recipes and trivia...

also see --> Halloween

azcentral.com | Day of the Dead - Dia de los Muertos - No bones about it, the best resource on the topic with hours of online fun featuring how-to videos, crafts, history and traditions, recipes, random trivia, a photo gallery and student-teacher resources.

Making Sugar Skulls for Day of the Dead - The complete recipe including step-by-step instructions, photos, tips & advice.

Food for the Ancestors - The late, great, but still-archived PBS special with a good history of the observance including a folk art gallery, information and photos on the current festival, video clips, and recipes for pozole, (pigs head and corn grits) salsa borracha (drunken sauce) and salsa de gusanos de maguey (worm sauce).

Mexican Day of the Dead - Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead central, including an extensive cache of articles and photo essays on the altar to the dead, candlelight vigils, gravesite ceremonies, folk art, activities and traditions, related links.

MEXonline: Day of the Dead Holiday - A good overview heading into feature stories chronicling the history and traditions of Dia de los Muertos, where to find the best locations for authentic ceremonies, a special report from Oaxaca, and related links.

Days of the Dead - A personal reminiscence of the celebration with photos and a complete recipe for Pan de Muerto, the traditional "Bread of the Dead."

Through the Eyes of the Soul - The um, "official" Day of the Dead Web site features an extensive photo gallery, sample recipes, poems and background info - but be prepared to dig up what is, essentially, a commercial showcase for books written on the subject.

also see -> Cinco de Mayo | Las Posadas | Mexican Independence Day

also see in Travel -> Mexico Tourist Attractions

also see in Society -> Death & Dying