Day of the Dead

The Day of the Dead is perhaps the most popular holiday in Necropolis. Families come together to honor their ancestors. The inevitability of death is accepted rather than feared. The annual rite features skeletons, altars and other trappings of death, but the ancient holiday celebrates life in its embrace of death. The skeletons dance and sing. Flowers, fruit and candy decorate altars. Death’s morbid side is buried under music and remembrances.

History

The Day of the Dead goes back to the Aztecs, who had not just a few days but an entire month dedicated to the dead. Festivities were presided over by the goddess Mictecacihuatl. In the Aztec calendar, this ritual fell roughly at the end of the Gregorian month of July and the beginning of August. In the post-conquest era it was moved by Spanish priests so that it coincided with the Christian holiday of All Hallows Eve “Dia de Todos Santos,” The result is that Necropolis now celebrates the day of the dead on first day of November.
The celebration of the day of the dead, like the customs of Halloween, evolved with the influences of the Celtics, the Romans, and the Christian holy days of All Saints Day. But with added influences from the Aztec people of Mexico. The Aztecs believed in an afterlife where the spirits of their dead would return as hummingbirds and butterflies. Even images carved in the ancient Aztec monuments show this belief – the linking the spirits of the dead and the Monarch butterfly.
Experts say that the holiday was nearly forgotten by Mexican-Americans until it was resurrected in the United States in the early 1970s when Mexican-Americans underwent a cultural reawakening. The holiday’s popularity then spread to other races and cultures. With the establishment of Necroplois, this holiday again saw a revival.

Participants

Given the presence of the Dark within the world and the real ability for the Necromancers to summon up the dead, celebrations frequently involve the actual corpse of a loved one being returned to their home for the day to participate in the holiday. The services of Necromancers are coveted during the holiday. 
This holiday is also the traditional time for resurrection rituals to attempt to return a loved one to the land of the living for the holiday and beyond. Not just as an animated corpse, but by being summoned to return to their life as they once were. This ritual is reserved for those of social importance or the loved ones of the important. Otherwise, the ritual comes at a steep price most families cannot afford.

Observance

On the Day of the Dead, it’s believed that the border between the spirit world and the real world dissolves. During this brief period, the souls of the dead awaken and return to the living world to feast, drink, dance and play music with their loved ones. In turn, the living family members treat the deceased as honored guests in their celebrations, and leave the deceased’s favorite foods and other offerings at gravesites or on the ofrendas built in their homes. Ofrendas can be decorated with candles, bright marigolds called cempasuchil and red cock’s combs alongside food like stacks of tortillas and fruit. The most prominent symbols related to the Day of the Dead are calacas (skeletons) and calaveras (skulls). During contemporary Day of the Dead festivities, people commonly wear skull masks and eat sugar candy molded into the shape of skulls. Owls, spiders and bats are also commonly featured within the holiday decorations.

Primary Related Location

Necropolis

Related Organizations

• Necromancers

For those that are wealthy or amongst the priviledged, it is common to hire a Necromancer. Necromancers wielding the Dark power of death can profoundly transform the celebration of the Day of the Dead, infusing it with a spectral grandeur and a deepened connection to the afterlife. Rather than simply honoring departed souls with altars and offerings, the necromancer conjures vivid, interactive displays where the spirits themselves materialize to join the festivities. Through intricate rituals and enchantments, they summon ephemeral phantoms to share stories and blessings, allowing the living to engage directly with their ancestors. These magical manifestations turn traditional decorations into animated tributes, with vibrant spectral marigolds and luminescent candles that guide the spirits' return. The participation of Necromancers in the Day of the Dead elevates the celebration into a profound and immersive communion between the realms of the living and the dead, weaving together the magic of necromancy with the rich cultural heritage of remembrance and reverence.