Death makes a holiday..
Repost from various years...
Los Dia de los muertos or the Day of the Dead, is a traditional Mexican holiday honoring the dead. It is celebrated every year along with the Catholic holy days of All Saint's Day and All Souls Day (November 1st & 2nd). The annual festivities associated with Day of the Dead mark a very special occasion where the living have an opportunity to show respect for their deceased relatives. It is believed that on November 1st, the spirits of the dead return to their homes. On Halloween in anticipation of their return elaborate altars are prepared by the deceased's graveside adorned with candles, photographs, flowers, candy skulls, and food. The following day vigils are held at the gravesides with family and friends dancing, singing, praying and drinking. Musicians from the streets dressed as corpses, drummers travel the streets in ghoulish costumes, and dancers perform devil dances to ward off evil. To commemorate the departure of the spirits, family members and friends participated the departure of the spirits, family members and friends participate in the ritual of extinguishing and removing candles from the altars. As respect is paid, so are fond wishes of loved ones past. (c) 2000-2010 Cyndee & Newgrave Magazine
La Catrina by Guadalupe Posada: A female skeleton with the chapeau and dress of the 19th century grande dame; represents death which can catch you any where and anytime.
Along with dia de los muertos, there is a saint called La Santisima Muerte aka Saint Death.
Italy has their own version called “Il Giorno dei Morti” or the Italian Memorial Day. Tradition dictates that one bake cookies, called Ossa dei Morti, the Bones of the Dead, for the occasion.**also**
In Europe there is the tradition of La Danse Macabre, (my very very old site) also called Dance of Death, La Danza Macabra, or Der Totentanz, is a late-medieval allegory on the universality of death. La Danse Macabre consists of the personified Death leading a row of dancing figures from all walks of life to the grave-typically with an emperor, king, pope, monk, youngster, beautiful girl, all in skeleton-state. They were produced under the impact of the Black Death, that reminded people of how fragile their lives were and how vain the glories of earthly life were. The imagery of le danse macabre was brought to life in 1538 with a series of woodcuts by Hans Holbein the Younger. The most popular danse macabre are found inside french and german churches.
Memento mori is a Latin phrase that means "Remember that you must die." It names a genre of artistic creations that vary widely from one another, but which all share the same purpose, which is to remind people of their own mortality.
Some musical interpretations of Le Danse Macabre include Camille Saint-Saëns Danse macabre In G Minor, Op. 40 (my fave) and Franz Liszt's Hungarian Fantasy:Totentanz.
For those that interested in the cultural history of Halloween and Death check this book out: "Death Makes a Holiday: A Cultural History of Halloween" written by notable Horror and Film Historian David J. Skal. Also if you can get your hands on this book "The Dance of the Death and the Macabre Spirit of European Literature" by Leonard P. Kurtz.