Inked Mag Staff
October 30th, 2020
Día De Los Muertos Tattoos
Do you know the story behind the Day of the Dead?
Now that Halloween has passed, it’s time to celebrate another holiday and that’s Día De Los Muertos (also known as the Day of the Dead). On November 1st through November 2nd, Día De Los Muertos is observed by people of Mexican descent. The holiday reunites the living with the dead, with people creating offerings (ofrendas) for their family members who are departed. These offerings are presented on altars, which often include yellow marigold flowers, photos of the deceased, food and drinks.
The festivities begin on November 1st at midnight with Día de los Angelitos (Day of the little angels), which allows the spirits of deceased children to reunite with their families for 24 hours. Then on November 2nd at midnight, Día de los Difuntos begins, which shifts the celebration to deceased adults. These offerings often take a more mature turn, introducing tequila and other alcohols. Then, the holiday comes to a climax at noon on November 2nd, which is officially Día De Los Muertos. On this day, people come together to celebrate and many paint their faces like skeletons (called calaveras). This day is when most of the parades are held and families often visit the cemeteries to decorate the graves of the deceased.
Calaveras (sometimes called sugar skulls) have become synonymous with this holiday. Not only to observers paint their faces to resemble skulls, calaveras are also depicted in sugar candies and clay decorations. Pixar Animation Studios took inspiration from Día De Los Muertos for their 2017 feature film, “Coco,” which follows a young boy who’s transported to the Land of the Dead to reunite with his great-great grandfather. This film was a commercial success and won “Best Original Song,” as well as “Best Animated Feature” at the 90th annual Academy Awards. Other films to feature this holiday include “The Book of Life,” “Macario” and “Spectre.”
In honor of Día De Los Muertos, take a look at some of our favorite tattoos inspired by this holiday in the gallery below. Then let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments section on social media.
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