Dia de Muertos literally means Day of the Dead and is a holiday that is celebrated in Mexico to remember loved ones and friends that have died. Day of the Dead begins on October 31 and ends on November 2. It is believed that those that have passed visit their families during this time. During this time, family and friends get together to remember those that have died and to help their spirit on its journey. Family members go to the …show more content…
The goal is to get the soul of the dead person to visit so they can hear the prayers and comments people are making about them. Sometimes it can be funny as people share stories of their loved one and laugh about memories they have. If the deceased person is a child, they leave toys at the grave. If it is an adult they leave trinkets or candy at the grave. Some families have ofrendas in their home where they leave out food for the dead person. They believe the dead eat the essence of the food so even though it is still there, there is no nutrition in it. They even leave out pillows and blankets for the souls to rest on their journey. Dia de Muertes sets aside a specific time to remember and celebrate those that have died. People plan all the details for their celebrations throughout the entire year because it is so important to them. It does show that they believe that the soul of the departed still lives and can visit. This gives them something to look forward to each year and helps them to accept death when you believe that person’s soul will visit you every year. It doesn’t give you a hope in where that person’s soul is all the time, only that they are capable of visiting you once a year. Dia de …show more content…
The faith that there is only one God and He is all powerful. The faith that there is a heaven and a hell. Christianity’s belief of death or an afterlife is called salvation. An earthly definition of salvation is preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin or loss. The Christian definition of salvation is deliverance from sin and its consequences. Christians believe salvation is brought about by faith in Christ. Christ died on the cross to deliver us from our sins. Christ offered us salvation. This belief in salvation establishes how Christians look at death. Christianity offers to deliver people from harm and sin when they die. Christians believe that death is a natural earthly thing that is a part of the time and space that we are in, but not an ending. It is a time of transition. It is the end of the cells that make up a body, but it is not an end to the spirit of the person. Believing that each person’s spirit is separate from the cells and body that deteriorate creates a beauty to death. Death is not the body that doesn’t move or function. Death is a new stage in existence. A stage that is given freely to Christians through the belief in Christ. The new stage of existence is not in the here or now that we can see or feel or touch, it is in a place called heaven. Christians are taught in the bible about heaven. Heaven is “home” in the next stage of life. It is where Christians will live with their savior and with family and