Cultural Traditions of the Day of the Dead Around the World

On November 2, Day of the Dead, there is a tradition of visiting the cemetery to pay tribute to loved ones. The typical dessert of this day is nougat. Originally, Murticiello or Morticino was white, chocolate-based, and had a coffin-shaped trapezoidal shape. Moreover, it was too soft for the dead, who no longer had teeth, to eat in peace. Thus, the Neapolitans tried to sweeten the deceased’s journey to the afterlife. Due to superstition, as always in Naples, pastry chefs decided to change the shape of the nougat from trapezoidal to hemispherical. In Mexico, according to Mexican tradition, during “El dia de los muertos” our loved ones come to visit us from the underworld. As seen in Pixar’s “Coco,” it is customary to display photographs of the deceased in the ofrenda along with food and gifts. Celebrations last for days with music, booze, and food, including the inevitable pan de muertos (bread of the dead) and calaveras dulces (sweet skulls). The graves are decorated with clavel, meaning “flower of God”. In Guatemala, the Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 2 with a lively and colorful festival. A special tradition is to fly a kite from a hill near cemeteries in order to bring one’s gesture of love closer to the souls of the dead. In Brazil, the festival is known as Día dos Finados or Day of the Dead. This celebration is more similar to the Italian tradition, as it is dedicated to cemetery visits. It is a day when families come together to honor the memory of their deceased loved ones, with a more sober and thoughtful atmosphere. In Thailand, the Celebration does not take place on November 2, it takes place between May and July and is called Boon Para Wate. On the first day, a musical parade is held, where young people enjoy playing jokes and pranks on each other. The second day marks the end of the procession with the extinguishing of the torches, while on the third and final day the monks recite the last reincarnation of the Buddha. In India, Diwali is celebrated between October and November as a festival symbolizing the victory of light over darkness in India. During this period, towns, houses and streets are filled with lights, floral decorations and floating candles, and celebrations last up to five days. This event, known as “Obon” or lantern day in Japan, is celebrated in August. Japanese people traditionally offer lamps that are released into the river to guide spirits with their light. In China, Qingming or the Ancestral Festival is celebrated from April 4 to 6. On this occasion, families clean the graves and burn the deceased person’s favorite food and drinks next to the grave, ensuring that the person can reach the afterlife. Celebrated with big picnics and colorful kite competitions, this Day of the Dead also coincides with the arrival of spring.