While many Americans are now preparing for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans are currently focusing their celebrations on a very important day in their culture-Dia De Los Muertos, also known as "Day of the Dead."

Many may have heard of this holiday, which is celebrated Nov. 1 and on Nov. 2, but may not know what exactly it is, or what is so significant about it. Here are five facts to know about the holiday:

The Holiday Has Been Celebrated For Over 3,000 Years

The celebration goes back as far as Aztec Culture before Spaniards arrived and included some of their own Christian beliefs. The original Aztec Festival was originally a two-month long celebration, which has since shortened, and involved participants placing offerings for the dead in front of homemade altars. November 1 is a day to remember the children who died early, while November 2 remembers deceased adults.

Altars Are Set Up With Offerings For The Dead

The concept behind the holiday is meant to invite the dead to come back to the homes of their loved ones for a visit, and altars often include photographs, flowers, and other items meant to bring the loved ones back for the day.

Skull Masks and Sugar Skulls Are A Big Part of the Celebration

The skull is symbolic with the holiday, with skull masks called calacas worn by those who dance to honor their deceased relatives, and sugar skulls which are made with the name of a deceased relative on the forehead, and are then eaten by a friend or family member.

There Are Slightly Different Variations To The Celebration In other Cultures

Mexico isn't the only place where the holiday is celebrated, with variations of the celebration occurring in other parts of Central and South America, Europe, Asia, and areas that have a high Mexican Immigrant population

For The First Time Ever, 2016 Saw A Parade For The Event

Mexico City held a parade for the holiday for the first time in history this past weekend, and the event was inspired by the latest James Bond film, Spectre, which saw a scene where Bond chased a villain through a festival for Day of the Dead.