THE Day of the Dead may not be until later this week but that hasn’t stopped many Mexicans getting into the ghoulish festival spirit early.

While Halloween is seen as a day of mischief and mayhem when the dead rise again, Dia de los Muertos is more life-affirming as it focuses on the love and respect for dead family members.

Right across Mexico revellers daub themselves in ghostly make-up and costumes and party for at least three days – October 31 to November 2 – as they offer up gifts for lost loved ones.

Mexicans see death as just part of the human cycle and see the day as a celebration as their dead loved ones come alive to party with them.

The tradition is thought to originate with the Aztec festival celebrating the goddess Mictecacihuati and is now on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco.

While Mexico is the centre of attention for the festivities, celebrations also take place in most parts of South America, such as Bolivia and Brazil.

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