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Moving through Mexican streets during Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) season can feel otherworldly. You may hear the tinkling of bells from dancers, smell the smoky odor of incense wafting through the air, see magnificent altars memorializing the dead, or feel the soft, colorful petals of cempasuchil, the Mexican version of marigolds. And don’t forget the flavors of complex mole and hot chocolate made the Mexica way (the Nahuatl-speaking people who established Tenochtitlan).
Día de los Muertos is one of the most stunning holidays in Mexico, and we can’t recommend it enough. If you’re thinking of visiting Mexico or a local celebration, you’ll want to learn Spanish to really disfrutar (enjoy) the festivities that are solemn and noisy, religious and pagan, and spooky and fun. The answers to “What is Día de los Muertos?” are here for the taking.
What is Día de los Muertos and why is it celebrated?
The Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos in Spanish, honors and remembers friends and family members who have passed away. At the same time, it reminds the living of their eventual destiny and reunion with the dead. The celebration is so significant that UNESCO has designated it as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Primarily associated with Mexico, Dia de los Muertos is also celebrated in Central and South America, the Philippines, and the United States among the Latin populations. Like many holidays in Mexico, Day of the Dead is more of a season than a single day. Though it’s a solemn holiday, Day of the Dead also has many playful undertones, since it sometimes makes fun of both the dead and the living with, calaveras literarias (skull poems).
With pre-Hispanic roots, Day of the Dead is actually an indigenous celebration. The Mexica culture believed that spirits went to different parts of the underworld depending on how a person died. These spirits—along with the god and goddess who oversaw them—were honored throughout the year with an ofrenda, an offering often in the form of an altar.
After the Spanish conquered Mexico in the early 16th century, Dia de los Muertos was consolidated into a single holiday coinciding with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. From the colonial period through the time of the revolution, Day of the Dead celebrations evolved into what you can experience today.
Is the Day of the Dead the same as Halloween?
Halloween is not the same as Day of the Dead, although some Halloween traditions have filtered into Día de los Muertos celebrations. Halloween is a tradition with Celtic roots that falls on October 31. Linked to the harvest and the coming of winter, the Celts held a festival called Samhain (pronounced SAH-win) on November 1 when they believed the souls of the dead returned to earth and the recently deceased transitioned to the otherworld.
In the Middle Ages, the Pope moved the date of All Saints’ Day to November 1. The evening before was considered sacred and named All Hallows Eve (later shortened to Halloween). Eventually, the holiday became much more secular in nature. All Souls’ Day then fell to November 2 and is a time to remember and pray for the dead.
When is Día de los Muertos in 2025?
The Day of the Dead always falls on November 1 and 2, regardless of the year.
Many Mexicans start setting up their Day of the Dead altars several days before the holiday, since many believe that some spirits come back starting on October 28. In fact, October 31 is usually dedicated to the souls of children who died before they could be baptized, known as Día de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels).
How is Día de los Muertos celebrated in Mexico?
Mexico celebrates Day of the Dead in elaborate ways, including parades, food, altars, and costumes. Although Día de los Muertos traditions may be stronger in central and southern parts of Mexico like Oaxaca and Chiapas, you’ll find festivities everywhere. Preparations for parades start almost a year in advance due to the complexity and intricacy of the stunning designs. Equally complex are some of the gorgeous altars that you’ll see set up in homes, public buildings, and even offices.
Many people visit decorated local cemeteries where their loved ones are buried. It’s also a time when families gather for a meal or to drink hot chocolate, and friends may get together to drink a mezcal or two. School-aged children have their own festivities and may be spotted on the streets after school in delightful devil, skeleton, or mariachi costumes. Understanding how and why it’s celebrated is essential for answering the question, “What is Día de los Muertos?”
Day of the Dead cemetery visits and decorations
Watching or participating in the cemetery visits is an extraordinary opportunity. Everyone is welcome as long as they are quiet and respectful. Caretakers of the cemeteries carefully clean the graves and grounds a few weeks before Día de los Muertos in preparation of the family visits.
Friends and relatives adorn the graves with flowers and candles, sometimes in ornate ways that take days to create. Large graves have been known to accommodate hundreds or even thousands of flowers, usually orange cempasuchil (marigolds), the most iconic flower of the holiday. You’ll also see people bringing the favorite food of the deceased, to eat at the gravesite as a way to remember their relatives. As they sit, an incense called copal often wafts around them.
Day of the Dead festivals
Most towns will have processions called comparsas: a lively parade with live music, dancing, and costumes. The costumes are often traditional indigenous ones paired with beautiful skull-themed makeup and flower crowns. Some people dress up elegantly to mimic European customs of the 1910s, which represents the recognizable La Catrina.
While nearly every town in Mexico will have something fun for you to enjoy at this time of year, here are just a few of the most noteworthy festivals for Día de los Muertos in Mexico:
- Festival de Calaveras, Aguascalientes: This festival honors José Guadalupe Posada’s skeletal imagery and features a parade, concerts, and fireworks.
- Mexico City: La Ciudad de México knows how to celebrate Day of the Dead en grande (in a big way). There are parades, two huge ofrendas, giant alebrijes (fantastic animal sculptures), and an evening costume event on bicycles.
- Oaxaca: The city of Oaxaca is one of the most popular places to visit for Día de los Muertos due to its preserved traditions and vibrant cultural scene. Nearby San Agustín Etla offers an extended comparsa called a muerteada that lasts nearly 24 hours! You can enjoy music, theater, and elaborate costumes with bells that become part of the music.
>> These basic Spanish phrases can help you make the most of your next trip!
Day of the Dead altars
One of the most important parts of Día de los Muertos is the altar that honors the dead. Altar size and shapes will vary widely, but a few elements are almost always included. A table is covered with a cloth, sometimes with multiple tiers or an arch above it. On the Day of the Dead altar, you’ll add flowers, bread offerings, and photos of the deceased who are enticed back home with their favorite dishes like tamales or pozole.
Legend has it that the photos help the spirits make sure they’re in the right house! You’ll also see plenty of candles lit to guide the spirits back home as well. Sugar skulls may also adorn the display, and a glass of water is always important since the spirits are said to have a long journey to their former house and may be thirsty. The altars might also include alcohol or cigarettes if the deceased person liked to smoke or drink.
What are popular Day of the Dead decorations?
You can’t answer the question “What is Día de los Muertos?” without talking about the decorations! The most popular decorations for Día de los Muertos shouldn’t come as a surprise. From skulls to flowers and candles, there’s a vibrancy to this Mexican holiday that’s irresistible, which is why it spills over into the United States more every year.
Día de los Muertos skulls
The iconic Day of the Dead skulls come in various patterns and sizes and are made of sugar. Decorated with icing and colored foil paper, these skulls aren’t usually eaten since they’re a representation of the dead. You’ll see a space on the sugar skull above the eyebrow line where you can write a person’s name. If you see your own name on it, someone’s playing a joke with a lighthearted reminder of how quickly death could come.
Día de los Muertos makeup
Much Day of the Dead makeup involves painting one’s face to look like a skull, and the imagery can be striking and even a bit scary. Adults and children alike may then don everyday street wear, mariachi costumes, or indigenous clothing to go to their events. The juxtaposition of the deadly-looking yet playful face along with everyday clothes startles and intrigues.
Día de los Muertos flowers
In the ancient culture of Mexico, natives believed the smells of cempasuchil (marigolds) helped the dead return for their visit to earth. While a rooster cock’s comb is sometimes used for altars, marigolds are the predominant Day of the Dead flower for the ofrendas. You can find them being sold in open air markets in huge bundles. Marigolds petals can be strewn on the ground as part of the decorations as well.
5 traditional Day of the Dead foods to eat
Ah, the food during the Day of the Dead season! Both the living and the dead get to partake, but the spirits simply absorb it. Here are just a few of the Día de los Muertos foods you can eat in Mexico or wherever it’s celebrated.
Pan de Muerto
This “Bread of the Dead” is an essential food that you’ll find starting in mid-October. Mildly sweet and usually round, it’s an egg-based dough that often includes a spice like anise or orange. There are many varieties, including sugar-coated bread or bread with a flour figurine representing a soul. You don’t want to eat that part though!
Hot chocolate
Originating in Mexico, hot chocolate is typically ground with spices (including cayenne) and sweetener, melted into hot water, and whipped until frothy. There are other varieties of hot chocolate in Mexico, but you’ll be hard pressed to find one with marshmallows.
Mole
Mole is synonymous with authentic Mexican food, so it’s a popular Day of the Dead food to eat. Usually served over chicken, mole has been around for hundreds of years, being perfected over time. With 20 or more varieties, a homemade mole may contain dozens of ingredients and take the better part of a day to make. The incomparable result is a blend of distinct flavors like nothing you’ve ever eaten before.
Dulces (sweets)
As we mentioned, the sugar skulls are not meant to be eaten, but others dulces definitely are! The most common one is calabaza, a large squash that gets slow-cooked with spices and piloncillo, a dark sugar. You might also love alegrías de amaranto (amaranth candy) which is a candy made from amaranth, honey, piloncillo, raisins, and nuts.
Tamales
Tamales come in all sizes and shapes and vary considerably depending on the region where they’re made. Wrapped in banana leaves or corn husks, they contain delicious cornmeal stuffed with chicken, pork, or cheese. The sauce may be red salsa, green tomato, or even mole.
Immerse yourself in Día de los Muertos with Rosetta Stone
Día de los Muertos really is a feast for the eyes, the soul, and the stomach. With every altar and lively parade, the holiday seems to say: Life is short. Enjoy it while it’s here. The dead are just beyond the veil. No need to take it all so seriously.
If you’d like to maximize your understanding of Día de los Muertos and Mexican culture, learning a language spoken in Mexico, like Spanish, can help you form meaningful connections with the community at large. With Rosetta Stone, you’ll learn Spanish in a fun, engaging environment. From bite-sized lessons to immediate pronunciation feedback, we’re here to get you conversation ready in no time.