The Days of the Dead

This book is about the annual holiday in Mexico, when the spirits of dead relatives awaken and return to the living world for one special day. Family members welcome them back and treat the deceased as honored guests.  The living may also build altars, called "offends," in their homes, on which they set out their loved one's favorite food and the items they will need, for work or play, when they return. On the offend they always display marigolds, the "flower of the dead." On the night before the Days of the Dead, loved ones may go to the gravesites to clean and decorate them. They have a picnic and wait throughout the night to welcome back the spirits of the dead for their special visit. They feast, drink, play, and sing songs.