Metaphors are a very important part of our language and often relate to conceptual thought processes. By studying cross-cultural metaphors it should be possible to learn more about a culture and its people. Therefore, considering that more Mexicans are in the United States today than ever, this survey looks at the metaphors of a Mexican celebration called The Day of the Dead. This study utilizes these metaphors, beliefs, and sayings as a starting point to learn about linguistic differences between Americans and Mexicans. Seventy-five Americans and thirty-one Mexicans participated in a survey containing Day of the Dead metaphors, beliefs, and sayings. Additionally, five Mexicans were interviewed about the Day of the Dead and their experiences.; Results of the survey were statistically significant that Mexicans have a different viewpoint of death than Americans and that they use language concerning the Day of the Dead differently than Americans. For example, the metaphors "Life is a dream" and "Death is skinny" were both significant items on the survey for the Mexicans.; Results of the interviews also made positive contributions to the field of study. Burial traditions were put forward to further the existing literature.; Ideas for future research are given after a discussion about the metaphor survey and the interview data.
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