Día de Muertos, celebrated on November 1 and 2 around the world, is traditionally a time to honor our ancestors and those in our families and communities who have walked on to the spirit world. Rooted in Nahua (Aztecs, Mayans, Toltecas, Tlaxcaltec, Chichimec, Tecpanec) and other Native traditions, today's celebrations have evolved, surviving five centuries of colonization—a testament to Indigenous resilience.

When the Spanish arrived on the Indigenous shores of Abya Yala (The Americas), they brought Catholicism and Christianity with them. While they sought to convert Indigenous Peoples and suppress Indigenous spirituality and ceremony, they sometimes combined their religions with traditional Indigenous practices, resulting in the contemporary modern-day celebrations of Día de Muertos.

With origins in Celtic tradition, Halloween also has a rich history, dating back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. During this festival, people lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off ghosts. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 to honor all saints, and soon, similar to what happened with Día de Muertos, All Saints' Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, which eventually led to the Halloween we know today observed in many countries on the eve of All Saints' Day, October 31.

Today, Día de Muertos and Halloween serve as a global connection, combining the traditional honoring of our ancestors with All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

In prayer and remembrance...