Celebrating Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead.

You
¿Cuándo es el Día de los Muertos?
KWAHN-doh ehs ehl DEE-ah deh lohs MWEHR-tohs
When is the Day of the Dead?
Día de los Muertos honors deceased loved ones — not spooky, but joyful.
Local
Es el primero y dos de noviembre.
ehs ehl pree-MEH-roh ee dohs deh noh-vee-EHM-breh
It's November 1st and 2nd.
'El primero' = the first (ordinal for dates). All other dates use cardinal numbers.
You
¿Qué hacen para celebrarlo?
keh AH-sehn PAH-rah seh-leh-BRAHR-loh
What do you do to celebrate it?
Local
Hacemos altares y visitamos el cementerio.
ah-SEH-mohs ahl-TAH-rehs ee vee-see-TAH-mohs ehl seh-mehn-TEH-ree-oh
We make altars and visit the cemetery.
'Altares' (altars) are decorated with photos, flowers, and the favorite foods of the departed.
You
¡Qué bonita tradición!
keh boh-NEE-tah trah-dee-see-OHN
What a beautiful tradition!
'¡Qué bonita!' = How beautiful! — shows genuine appreciation for local culture.