98 The Day of the Dead

Perhaps you’ve heard of the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead. And perhaps, because it occurs around the same time, you thought this holiday was pretty much the same as Halloween. But if you thought this, you would be wrong.

The Day of the Dead is a time to remember departed relatives and friends, but not in a sad or morbid way. Families get together to share happy memories of the past, to feast on special foods, and to put flowers and other gifts on the graves of loved ones. Many people believe that on the Day of the Dead the spirits of the dead will return to join the living. This holiday is popular not only in Mexico. It is also celebrated in many regions of the United States and Central America. Festivities vary from location to location.

The origins of the Day of the Dead can be traced to the Aztec Indians. These early inhabitants of Mexico set aside an entire month to celebrate the dead. When the Spanish invaded, they changed the date of the holiday to coincide with the Catholic All Saints Day and All Souls Day, November 1st and 2nd.

One reason people sometimes confuse the Day of the Dead with Halloween is because skeletons are so much a part of the celebrations. One popular skeletal figure is Katarina, who wears a dress and plumed hat. Skulls and skeletons also decorate many baked goods and sugar candies prepared for the day.

98 亡灵节

也许你听说过墨西哥的亡灵节庆祝活动。也许因为它和万圣节时间相近，你认为这个节日和万圣节差不多。但如果你这么想，就错了。

亡灵节是纪念逝去的亲友的日子，但并非以悲伤或病态的方式。家人们聚在一起分享过去的快乐回忆，享用特色食物，并在亲人的坟墓上摆放鲜花和其他礼物。许多人相信，在亡灵节这天，死者的灵魂会回到人间与生者团聚。这个节日不仅在墨西哥流行，在美国和中美洲的许多地区也会庆祝，庆祝方式因地区而异。

亡灵节的起源可以追溯到阿兹特克印第安人。这些墨西哥的早期居民会留出整整一个月来庆祝死者。当西班牙人入侵后，他们将这个节日的日期改到与天主教的诸圣节和万灵节（11月1日和2日）重合。

人们有时会把亡灵节和万圣节混淆，原因之一是骷髅在庆祝活动中占了很大比重。一个受欢迎的骷髅形象是卡塔琳娜，她穿着裙子，戴着羽饰帽。骷髅装饰也出现在许多为这个节日准备的烘焙食品和糖制糖果上。