Día de Difuntos Parte II.

Angeles somos, de cielo vinimos, hambre tenemos, pan pedimos.

A tradition in most of Latin America that is hugely lacking in the United States is the celebration of the Day of the Deceased. The first and second of November is an official holiday so no one works. Instead, families dress up, buy flowers, light candles and visit with their muertitos - their dead relatives. The cemetery is abuzz with activity as living relatives from near and far come by to pay their respects.

An especially delicious part of Día de Difuntos is the colada morada - a purple flour-based beverage that is loaded with fruits and spices. Families bring big buckets of the drink to the graves and offer cups to whosoever desires. In the mountains the colada is usually accompanied by a little dollbaby made out of bread - a guagua.