The Day of the Dead or El día de los muertos is a Mexican national holiday celebrated every year on the first two days of November. On these dates Mexicans remember family members and friends who have passed away.  Modern practices are a blend of pre-Columbian beliefs and the Catholic observance of All Souls’ Day. While the Day of the Dead is also observed in other Hispanic countries, here we will focus on Mexican traditions.

In Mexican culture, death is accepted as part of life. The Day of the Dead is seen as not only a chance to reconnect with lost loved ones, but also for the living to make fun of death and celebrate having lived through another year. Rather than a somber tone, this holiday has the air of a celebration with people telling humorous anecdotes about the deceased and perhaps even singing or reciting their favorite songs, poems or jokes.

Commonly, families go together to cemeteries to visit with the souls of the departed. Upon arrival, they clean the grave and build altars on the tombs or tumbas. This altar includes many offerings or ofrendas such as the favourite foods and beverages of the deceased, family photos, votive candles, incense or copal and flowers, particularly Mexican marigolds. In the case of children, small toys and candies are given. The hope is that these items will attract the missing souls back for a short time so that they may enjoy time with them once again. In some areas of Mexico, people even spend the night at the cemetery and set out an extra pillow and blanket for the departed.

Alters are also commonly built in people’s homes, schools and workplaces.  Symbols of Christianity, such as the cross or photos of the Virgin Mary, are also sometimes incorporated. Families spend weeks every year constructing these colourful alters, to view some click here. The most common symbol of the Day of the Dead is the skull. Bakeries compete to see who can make the most popular pure sugar treat in the shape of a small skull called a calaverita. Symbols associated with the Day of the Dead are present in Mexican culture throughout the year as they are seen to bring good luck. Similar celebrations are found in other countries of Latin America, and even within Mexico there are regional differences in customs of observance. For ideas on how to celebrate El día de los muertos in Vancouver check out this link. 

Meetup.com is an excellent resource to meet members of your community with similar interests. Create a quick profile, find the groups that interest you and get out there and meet people. I have been attending Spanish and German language meetup groups in Vancouver for the last five years and have had a very positive experience.

The Vancouver Spanish Language Meetup and Vancouver Spanish Meetup (VSM) are two groups that offer the opportunity for learners to get together with other speakers of Spanish. The speaking ability of those attending ranges from beginner through to native speakers but anyone who can hold a basic conversation in Spanish is welcome. Common events include informal conversations in pubs, cafés and restaurants, movie screenings for Spanish-language films, potlucks and cultural events.

The Greater Vancouver German Language Meetup regularly holds events around the Lower Mainland for members to meet and speak German. This group also has events for children to help parents pass on their heritage language. The speaking ability of those attending is generally in the upper intermediate or advanced level with many native speakers participating as well. A large number of members have either lived in a German-speaking country or have moved from German-speaking countries to Canada. Common events include informal conversations in pubs, cafés and restaurants, movie screenings for German-language films and cultural events.