Google celebrates Day of the Dead with a Doodle

Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Wednesday is one of Mexico's most important holidays -- Dia de los Muertos -- also known as Day of the Dead.

The annual holiday of Dias de los Muertes, which originated from Indigenous cultures in Mexico thousands of years ago, honors those who passed. It was believed the souls of the dead could visit the living. Every year, families invite their loved ones to return home. The idea resonated with 16th-century Spanish settlers, who turned it into a holiday.

To celebrate, people don skeleton paint, display colorful skulls made from sugar or clay, create a home altar with pictures of their loved ones and candles -- to guide the departed home. Graves are also decorated with personal belongings and marigold flowers.

Google's Day of the Dead Doodle was created from real sugar, sculpted into skulls and letters, by Lydia Nichols.