Throughout Mexico, the Day of the Dead celebration starts on the evening of October 31, the cemeteries are filled; gradually people will decorate and clean the graves of infants who died. Families take flowers, toys, candy, food and balloons, with the intentions to spend the entire afternoon and evening with their little angels. The next day it's time to decorate the mausoleums and headstones of a
dults. It is not uncommon to see mariachis and trios offering their services to brighten the time. The origins of the Day of the Dead in Mexico predated the arrival of the Spaniards into the New World. The festival of the Day of the Dead was commemorated in the ninth month of the Aztec solar calendar , near the beginning of August, and was celebrated for an entire month. Many Mexican celebrations were developed from ancient traditions among its pre-Columbian cultures. Rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors had been long observed by these civilizations perhaps for as long as 2,500–3,000 years. The festivities were dedicated to the goddess known as Mictlancihuatl the "Lady of the Dead", corresponding to the modern La Calavera Catrina. Scholars have traced the origins of this indigenous modern celebration observances of “Day of the Dead” dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictlancihuatl; whose role was to watch over the bones of the dead along with Mictlantecuhtli. The holiday has spread throughout the world, being absorbed within other deep traditions for honoring the dead. It happens to be a holiday that has become a national symbol and as such is taught (for educational purposes) in the nation's schools, but there are families who are more inclined to celebrate a traditional "All Saints Day" associated with the Catholic Church; thereafter the Spanish Conquest. By the late 20th century in most regions of Mexico, the practices had developed to honor dead children and infants on November 1, and to honor deceased adults on November 2. November 1 is generally referred to as Día de los Inocentes ("Day of the Innocents") but also as Día de los Angelitos ("Day of the Little Angels"); November 2 is referred to as Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos ("Day of the Dead"). Dia de Los Muertos is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and acknowledged around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey.