“The Mexican is familiar with death, jokes with it, sleeps with it and celebrates it,” wrote Mexican author Octavio Paz.

To celebrate death, people throughout Mexico celebrate the Day of the Dead on or around Nov. 1 each year. People wear makeup to celebrate the festival on that day.

Widely considered to be Mexico’s most important festival, the Day of the Dead is deeply rooted in the culture of the local Mexica.

The Mexica were the dominant local people in Mexico before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century.

The celebration is based on a Mexican legend ( 传 说 ) that says after death, souls can only communicate with their still-living families in the first days of November. One can see how these days would be quite important for the Mexican people.

Now the tradition has become a modern festival .

“It’s a celebration with many years of history, to which local people have incorporated(融合) new religious elements, such as the gathering of offerings,” said Octavio Murillo, director at the National Institute of Local People in Mexico.

On this special day, people around Mexico decorate their homes, streets and relatives’ graves with flowers, candles and colorful skulls. At the same time, they set up altars ( 祭坛) on which they place the personal belongings of the dead to welcome them home.

In recent years, this festival has become a global symbol of Mexican culture , especially after the movie Coco《寻梦环游记》 hit big screens in 2017.

“We are all afraid of death, and in Mexico, it is part of a celebration, a ritual of color. It’s amazing. ” said Alejandra Diaz, a 30-year-old traveller. She took a week-long trip from Colombia to Mexico City just to take part in the festivities.

In China, foods are given particular meanings, so that a type of food can only be eaten by some specific individuals in certain occasion, or must be eaten in specific occasion.

Usually, an honored guest will be served a snapper’s head or shell to greet him and show warm welcome in some districts.

Noodles are the symbol of longevity in Chinese culture. They are as much a part of Chinese birthday celebration as a birthday cake with lit candles is in many countries, so that youngsters or seniors all will have a bowl of Long Life Noodle in the expectation of a healthy life. Since noodles do symbolize long life, it is considered very unlucky to cut up a strand.

Eggs hold a special symbolic significance in many cultures, and China is no exception. The Chinese believe eggs symbolize fertility. After a baby is born, parents may hold a “red egg and ginger party”, where they serve round hard-boiled eggs to announce the birth. (In Central China, the number of eggs presented depends on the sex of the child: An even number, usually six or eight Red Boiled Eggs with a black point dotted on one end will be delivered for a boy and an odd number, usually five or seven without black point for a girl). Egg rolls or spring rolls resemble the shape of a gold bar, and thus are often served on the New Year as a symbol of wealth and prosperity in the coming year.

Fish also play a large role in festive celebrations. The Chinese word for fish “Yu” sounds like the homophonic words both for wish and abundance. As a result, on New Year’s Eve it is customary to serve a fish for dinner, symbolizing the wish for accumulations of prosperity and wealth in the coming year. In addition, the fish is served whole, with head and tail attached, symbolizing a good beginning and ending for the coming year.

Ducks represent fidelity in Chinese culture. If you are ever invited to a Chinese wedding banquet, don’t be surprised to spot a mouthwatering platter of Peking duck on the banquet table. Also, red dishes are featured at weddings as red is the color of happiness. (You may find them served at New Year’s banquets for the same reason.)

Chicken forms part of the symbolism of the dragon and phoenix in Chinese culture. At a Chinese wedding, chicken’s feet, referred to as phoenix feet, are often served with dragon foods such as lobster. Chicken is also popular at Chinese New Year, symbolizing a good marriage and the coming together of families, and serving the bird whole emphasizes family unity.

Seeds - lotus seeds, watermelon seeds, etc - represent bearing many children in Chinese culture. Visit an Asian bakery during the Chinese New Year, and you’re likely to find a wide assortment of snacks with different types of seeds in them.

There are other foods, snacks and fruits which symbolize good wishes under special circumstances. (498 words)