Mexican culture sees death as an inevitable and natural part of being human. A Mexican Holiday, Día De Los Muertos is an annual celebration to remember the lost loved ones and pray for them to visit us for a short span.
This is a unique and meaningful way to honor people who have started their spiritual journey.
November is an auspicious month for all Mexicans, and one should make the best out of this day.
But if you are away from home and want to celebrate this auspicious occasion without missing your family, I have got you covered.
Of course, it won’t make up for the fun, festivities, and dancing, but these ways will definitely make you smile.
Here are 5 ways in which you can celebrate Día De Lost Muertos if you are away from home.
- Get A Memorial Portrait
The best way to honor a dead relative is to remember them the right way.
Memorial Paintings of Loved Ones are a great way to pay tribute and have a forever memory of them.
Of course, you cannot set up an Ofrenda at your home, but you can always get a painting done.
Hang this painting on your walls; all you have to do is look at it to remember them.
With PortraitFlip, you can get a 100% hand-painted portrait that will serve as memorabilia of them on Día De Los Muertos.
Your past loved ones will still come to meet you if you hang a painting on your walls.
The best part about these Memorial Paintings is that you can also include other family members in the painting – even if they don’t have a picture together.
I think that is the true essence of celebrating Día De Los Muertos by bringing your family together.
- Bake Pan De Muerto
Although you cannot be a part of this year’s celebration, you can always bake some bread.
Pan de muerto, literally translated to “bread of the dead”, is a seasonal sweet bread that is placed on the Ofrenda.
The entire significance of the bread is to pay homage to the departed.
Interestingly, it is also a sought-after delight among those living in Mexico, with people eagerly anticipating the dead’s arrival to enjoy themselves.
You already have a painting as a substitute for the Ofrenda; now, all you have to do is bake the bread and offer it to your dear departed.
Being a Mexican, you definitely have the skills perfected. Put them to a new test with a few loaves of the sweet, yeasty “bread of the dead” and have a feast for yourself.
- Make Sugar Skulls
While you are at it, you can make yourself some pretty sugar skulls.
It is absolutely easy to DIY with only a few ingredients. Purchase a plastic mold online or from your nearby cake shop.
And all you have to do is sugar things up!
Decorate the skulls with brightly colored icing. If that seems too much of a task, you can also make iced sugar cookies instead. Just shape them like skulls or stop by a Mexican market to pick some up!
And eat your life’s content.
- Attend a Day of the Dead Parade
If you are in any part of the United States, you are already in a better place to celebrate Día De Los Muertos.
Although there is no comparison for Mexico’s Day of the Dead Parade, there still are a lot of American cities with large Hispanic populations, such as San Francisco, California, San Antonio, Texas, you name it!
If you are in any of these states, find out the closest parade happening and just go!
Get into action by dressing up as a Catrina or Catrín and spice things up.
YouTube and Pinterest are full of ideas and instructions on clothing, face painting, floral crowns, and more.
All you have to do is search and make the effort to make it possible.
- Watch Coco
If you are a lousy, introverted person who would rather stay in this Dia De Los Muertos, then there is very little hope for you.
Just kidding, there is always something to do, even at home.
As I mentioned before – bake Pan de Muertos, get yourself some sugar cookies, order some delicious Mexican food and watch Coco.
The world got to know about Día De Los Muertos after Pixar’s marvelous animated Day of the Dead film that features an all-Latino principal cast and the journey of a young boy discovering his family’s history. Even though the little boy is the lead hero, the movie’s main driving force is Mama Coco.
If you have not watched, do, and you will fall in love. Be ready with a box of tissues because there is going to be some sobbing and missing your family.
If you have watched it, watch it anyway!
Cozy up your room, light up some warm lights, bring all your mouth-watering delicacies, and voila! You have yourself a baby’s day home for Día De Los Muertos.
These can be some great ways to celebrate the Day of the Dead if you are caught up in a land away from your home.
Do let me know if you tried any of these!
