Day Of The Dead

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday observed November 1-2 in which families honor and remember deceased loved ones. UNESCO recognized it as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008.

History & origin

Día de los Muertos blends pre-Columbian Aztec rituals — which honored the goddess Mictecacíhuatl, lady of the dead — with Spanish Catholic All Saints' Day (Nov 1) and All Souls' Day (Nov 2). November 1 honors deceased children (Día de los Inocentes); November 2 honors deceased adults.

Traditions & customs

Families build altars (ofrendas) at home and at cemeteries with photographs, candles, marigolds (cempasúchil), favorite foods of the deceased, pan de muerto (sweet bread), and skull-shaped sugar candies (calaveras de azúcar). Cemeteries fill with candles overnight. The day is festive, not mournful — believed to be when souls return.

Traditional foods

Pan de muerto (round sweet bread topped with bone-shaped decorations). Mole. Tamales. Atole. Sugar skulls. The favorite foods of the deceased loved one.

Greetings & salutations

"Feliz Día de los Muertos"

For travellers

Public holiday in Mexico. Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Pátzcuaro are famous for elaborate celebrations. The day was popularized internationally by the James Bond film Spectre (2015) and Pixar's Coco (2017).

Frequently asked questions

Day Of The Dead in other countries

This holiday is also publicly observed in:

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