Painted faces and colorful skulls — this is what celebrating the death of your deceased family and ancestors looks like.

In Mexico, it’s a tradition.

But death is not something many Americans celebrate.

Maybe it should be.  

El Día De Los Muertos or Day of the Dead is a Meso-American holiday that takes place Nov. 1 – Nov. 2. People sing songs, dance, and have parades in remembrance of their family.

Nov. 1 is called Día de los Angelitos or Day of the Little Angels, which is set aside specifically to celebrate children who have died. Adults who have died are celebrated on Nov. 2.

People prepare foods, including skulls made from colored sugar, Pan de Muertos (bread of the dead) and other sweets. They lay brightly colored marigolds on the streets to lead the spirits of the dead back home and to their altars with the bright colors and smell.

“On the Day of the Dead our whole family gets together and we set [up] an altar,” North Junior Gabi Rodriguez said. “We put a picture of our lost ones, like my Grandpa, and anyone that we’ve loved.”

One of the main traditions of this holiday are “ofrendas” or altars to honour the lives of their families. They cover the ofrendas with flowers, pictures of the person, sugar skulls, and things the person enjoyed in their lives.

At North, some students celebrate the Day of the Dead too, through the Amigos Club.

This year they are celebrating the Day of the Dead with a pumpkin carving competition.  

The Amigos Club decided that since Halloween and El Día de los Muertos are so close together, they could combine the events.

“I think it’s good that Amigos is doing something to involve the whole school and not just the Hispanic community,” Rodriguez said.