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    • What is the Day of the Dead? What you need to know about Mexican tradition
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    What is the Day of the Dead? What you need to know about Mexican tradition

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    Colorful altars, dressing in traditional Mexican formal wear, sugar skull face paintings, and masks are some of the most striking expressions of reverence for Día de los Muertos traditions.

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    Passed loved ones will live on in the hearts of those who remember them, but a very special holiday honors the life they lived on earth.

    In late October, tradition says, the souls of loved ones return from the afterlife to celebrate and spend time with living relatives on Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, usually celebrated on November 1 and 2 .

    Families, friends and admirers of the deceased prepare ofrendas, or altars, to welcome their loved ones, including pets, home. The holiday also happens to coincide directly with the Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

    “I feel like this Mexican tradition gives people an opportunity to see death in a different way,” Angie Jimenez, director of the altar program at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, previously told USA TODAY.

    The annual tradition has been recognized by indigenous civilizations in Mexico for more than 3,000 years. Elements of Catholicism and Christianity were later incorporated into the indigenous death ritual following the colonization of the Aztec Empire by the Spanish in the 16th century, for a holiday shaped by the ideas, beliefs and motifs of the Spanish, Christian and indigenous civilizations.

    Despite the holiday’s origins in Mexico, the tradition of honoring a loved one who has passed away is embraced by many around the world, with many major celebrations taking place in the US.

    Who celebrates Day of the Dead?

    Anyone you want to remember, including family members, friends, pets or even celebrities.

    When is the Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, celebrated?

    The Day of the Dead festivities usually take place on November 1 and 2, depending on the age of the deceased you are honoring. But sometimes the celebrations start as early as Halloween night.

    November 1 is commonly called the Día de los Inocentes (Day of the Innocents) or Día de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels). It typically honors the lives of young children or young people. November 2 is known as Día de los Muertos and Día de los Difuntos, in which loved ones commemorate the lives of deceased adults.

    The individual memories not only recognize different stages of life, but also provide a specific focus for each day and reflect a blend of native Aztec beliefs and Catholic traditions, according to The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network.

    Depending on the region, the construction of an altar or a grave decorating session may take place even earlier.

    “I would say that most people, you could really say, celebrate it for a week or several weeks. Because a lot of people don’t make the ofrenda on November 1, they don’t make it on October 31, they don’t.” It won’t work on November 2. They make it weeks before the actual holiday,” Mathew Sandoval, a professor at Arizona State University who has researched Día de los Muertos, told The Republic.

    For example, Mexico City celebrates the Day of the Dead throughout the month of October, allowing people to add or change their altars during the month.

    Although the holiday is largely celebrated by people in Mexico and Mexican American or Latino communities in the United States, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala and even Haiti celebrate the Day of the Dead in their own ways, according to The Mexican Museum in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institute.

    Where is the Day of the Dead celebrated?

    Day of the Dead can really be celebrated anywhere where an altar has been made, Jimenez said. Ofrendas are built in homes, parks, supermarkets and cemeteries.

    Families or friends use the days to get together to build an altar, visit the graves of loved ones, use paint to create a skull-like figure on their faces, dress up, make sugar skulls, exchange stories, share food, enjoy music or dance, buy marigolds and attend a parade or festival.

    What is a Day of the Dead ofrenda?

    An ofrenda, or altar, is created with the attention to providing a physical space for the spirit of the family member, friend or pet you wish to be reunited with.

    Most altars contain yellow marigolds, candles, photos of the deceased, papel picado or cut tissue paper, as well as food and drink offerings for the dead, according to The Mexican Museum in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution.

    Skulls, or calaveras, are common decorations. They are made of paper mache, clay, wood, metal, cut out tissue paper and often they are made of sugar decorated with colored icing, flowers or metallic foils.

    The components integrated into the altar will vary depending on culture, region and preference.

    Because the altar is the “heart and soul” of what Día de los Muertos is all about, it’s important to add traditional elements such as candles, papel picado, a drink or food, Jimenez shared. All these items represent the four elements of nature.

    As long as you have the traditional components, the altar’s location and size don’t matter, Jimenez said.

    The altar should also be unique to the person whose soul you want to reconnect, so adding a few personal touches like their favorite snacks, toys, or possessions can’t hurt.

    Here are a few things you might want to include in yours:

    • Candles
    • Photos/personal belongings
    • Cempasúchil (Marigolds)
    • Papel picado
    • Salty
    • Food/drink
    • Incense
    • Religious symbols such as crosses
    • Music

    How has the Day of the Dead changed over the years?

    Traditions, like anything else, are subject to change or adjustment as time goes on.

    The Day of the Dead has undergone changes in the way it is celebrated and honored since the time of the Aztec people, but one important element has remained the same. The living have the opportunity to visit the deceased two days a year in a joyful and rather colorful celebration of life.

    One of the most unique aspects of Dia de los Muertos is the ambiguity of how it evolved into what it is today, Ramona Pérez, professor of anthropology and director of the Center for Latin American Studies at San Diego State University, previously told USA TODAY .

    Colorful altars, dressing in traditional Mexican formal wear, sugar skull face paintings, and masks are some of the most striking expressions of reverence for Día de los Muertos traditions.

    By signing up for these optional practices, you pay tribute to the cultural significance of the holiday. One of the most iconic symbols of the Day of the Dead, La Calavera Catrina, an elegant skull, was created in 1910 by satirical cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada. The illustration depicted a skeleton dressed in fashionable attire to mock the upper class of the time.

    Over the past century, La Catrina has been embraced as a symbol of Mexican culture and has come to represent the idea that death is an inherent part of life and should be celebrated, according to reporting by The Republic.

    It has become common to see people wearing La Catrina-inspired costumes or painting their faces to resemble La Catrina’s skeletal features, rocking elaborate dresses, suits, flower crowns, scarves or hats to complete a look to form.

    ‘They are just a reminder of our own mortality. We all go to the same room,” Jimenez said. ‘Although it may sound very dark or morbid, it is a statement about how death is just as beautiful as life.’

    An earlier version of this story appeared in 2023.

    Contributions Jordan Mendoza

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