<P> Originally, the Day of the Dead as such was not celebrated in northern Mexico, where it was unknown until the 20th century because its indigenous people had different traditions . The people and the church rejected it as a day related to syncretizing pagan elements with Catholic Christianity . They held the traditional' All Saints' Day' in the same way as other Christians in the world . There was limited Mesoamerican influence in this region, and relatively few indigenous inhabitants from the regions of Southern Mexico, where the holiday was celebrated . In the early 21st century in northern Mexico, Día de Muertos is observed because the Mexican government made it a national holiday based on educational policies from the 1960s; it has introduced this holiday as a unifying national tradition based on indigenous traditions . </P> <P> The Mexican Day of the Dead celebration is similar to other societies' observances of a time to honor the dead . The Spanish tradition, for instance, includes festivals and parades, as well as gatherings of families at cemeteries to pray for their deceased loved ones at the end of the day . </P> <P> The Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico developed from ancient traditions among its pre-Columbian cultures . Rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors had been observed by these civilizations perhaps for as long as 2,500--3,000 years . The festival that developed into the modern Day of the Dead fell in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, about the beginning of August, and was celebrated for an entire month . The festivities were dedicated to the goddess known as the "Lady of the Dead", corresponding to the modern La Calavera Catrina . </P> <P> By the late 20th century in most regions of Mexico, 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"). </P>

Where was the day of the dead first celebrated