In college I wrote a paper – a rather long one if I remember correctly – on Dia de los Muertos. I am not sure what really peaked my interest in this specific holiday, except that I had spent some time in Mexico, and I had always had a fascination with festivals in other cultures. I found the celebrations around this holiday intriguing. It was not Halloween, yet it was just a few days from Halloween, and the festivities began at midnight on Halloween. The idea that the spirits of the deceased can come down and “be” with their loved…