TheDayoftheDead(DíadelosMuertosinSpanish)isaholidaycelebratedmainlyinLatinAmericaandbyLatinos(andothers)livingintheUnitedStatesandCanada.Theholidayfocusesongatheringsoffamilyandfriendstoprayforandrememberfriendsandfamilymemberswhohavedied.Thecelebrationoccursonthe1stand2ndofNovember,inconnectionwiththeCatholicholydaysofAllSaints'DayandAllSouls'Daywhichtakeplaceonthosedays.Traditionsincludebuildingprivatealtarshonoringthedeceased,usingsugarskulls,marigolds,andthefavoritefoodsandbeveragesofthedeparted,andvisitinggraveswiththeseasgifts.

　　Scholarstracetheoriginsofthemodernholidaytoindigenousobservancesdatingbackthousandsofyears,andtoanAztecfestivaldedicatedtoagoddesscalledMictecacihuatl(knowninEnglishas"TheLadyoftheDead").

　　Similarholidaysarecelebratedinmanypartsoftheworld;forexample,itisapublicholidayinBrazil,wheremanyBrazilianscelebratebyvisitingcemeteriesandchurches.InSpain,therearefestivalsandparades,andattheendoftheday,peoplegatheratcemeteriesandprayfortheirlovedoneswhohavedied.SimilarobservancesoccurelsewhereinEuropeandinthePhilippines,andsimilarly-themedcelebrationsappearinmanyAsianandAfricancultures.