Dia de los Muertos is often referred to as a “Mexican holiday,” however the original roots of the holiday can be traced back to Mesoamerican civilizations. The Mexica were one of these Mesoamerican civilations to practice Dia de los Muertos. The name for the Mexica holiday was called the Mictecacihualt festival rather than the El Dia de los Muertos. The Mexica celebrated this holiday for an entire month, from the end of July to the middle of August. In contrast, the Spanish changed the length of the celebration to only two days. The Spanish also changed the date to correspond with their Catholic holidays, All Saints’ Day and All Soul Day, in result the holiday was celebrated on the first and second of November. On these two days, the Spanish…show more content… Ultimately the Mexica culture was so strong that the main aspects of the holiday still are present today. For example, the Mexica goddess, Mictecacihuatl is found today as Catrina. This figure is of a skeleton and today, many art and decorations of the holiday include them. Such examples include sugar skulls and face painting. Also the main purpose of the holiday was the same as the Mexica. The holiday today also still celebrates the dead and is a celebration rather than mourning. However the Spanish did influence the date change and time period of the original holiday. In result today the holiday is celebrated on the first and second of November. Flowers are important on this holiday and the same flower the indigenous people used is still what is used today (UNC Institute for the Study of the Americas). This flower is the cempasuchil or the yellow marigold (UNC Institute for the Study of the Americas). Also according to, UNC Institute for the Study of the Americas, on the first day of the holiday the children are first celebrated then on the second adults, just like the Mexica used to practice. The Mexica used altars on this holiday, however in modern times, some aspects of Catholicism are included (UNC Institute for the Study of the