.%2024.jpg?width=1600)
Ofrendas (Altars)
Families build multi-tiered home altars decorated with photos, food, water and personal items so that returning spirits can rest and feast.
%20I.jpg?width=1600)
An Educational Guide
Day of
the Dead
Celebrating Life, Memory and Family.
Día de los Muertos is a traditional Mexican festival on 1 and 2 November when families joyfully honour loved ones who have died — with marigolds, music, candlelight and the foods they once loved.
Section 1
What is Day of the Dead?
Día de los Muertos — the Day of the Dead — is a traditional Mexican festival that takes place every year on 1 and 2 November. Rather than mourning, families gather to celebrate the lives of relatives and friends who have died.
On 1 November, known as Día de los Angelitos, families honour children who have passed away. On 2 November they honour adults. It is believed the spirits of loved ones briefly return to visit — so food, photos, candles and marigolds are laid out to welcome them home.
The festival is joyful and colourful. Skulls (calaveras) are painted in bright patterns, mariachi bands play in cemeteries, and children eat sugar skulls with their names on them. It is a reminder that those we love are never truly gone while we still remember them.
Section 2
History and Origins
Day of the Dead grew from a blend of ancient indigenous beliefs and Catholic traditions brought by the Spanish in the 16th century.
- •c. 1300s
Aztec Roots
Indigenous Nahua peoples honour Mictecacíhuatl, ‘Lady of the Dead’, with month-long summer rituals for ancestors.
- •1521
Spanish Arrival
Colonisation brings Catholic All Saints’ (1 Nov) and All Souls’ Day (2 Nov), which blend with indigenous customs.
- •1600s–1800s
Blending Traditions
Ofrendas, sugar skulls and pan de muerto become recognisable features across colonial Mexico.
- •1910s
La Catrina Born
Cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada engraves La Calavera Catrina, later coloured by Diego Rivera — the festival’s most famous icon.
- •20th Century
National Identity
Post-Revolution Mexico embraces Day of the Dead as a symbol of national culture and mestizo heritage.
- •2008
UNESCO Heritage
UNESCO inscribes Día de los Muertos on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Section 3
Traditions and Customs
Every element of the festival carries meaning. Here are the traditions you'll find in almost every Mexican home during Día de los Muertos.
Marigold Flowers
Bright orange cempasúchil marigolds — the ‘Flower of the Dead’ — are scattered as petal paths whose colour and scent guide spirits home.
Sugar Skulls
Calaveras de azúcar are moulded sugar skulls, often bearing the name of a loved one on the forehead. They are decorative, not sad.
Candles
Candles are lit on altars and graves. Their flames represent hope and light the way for the spirits’ nocturnal journey.
Favourite Foods
Tamales, mole, fruit and the departed’s favourite dishes are placed on the ofrenda so returning spirits can enjoy them again.
Pan de Muerto
‘Bread of the Dead’ is a soft, orange-scented sweet bread decorated with bone-shaped strips of dough. Baked fresh in late October.
%20-%209.jpg?width=1600)
Visiting Cemeteries
Families gather at graves through the night, cleaning headstones, laying flowers and sharing stories, food and music with their ancestors.
%20procession%20in%20San%20Francisco%2C%202006.JPG?width=1600)
Music
Mariachi bands and folk songs fill streets and cemeteries. Music is a joyful invitation for spirits to join the celebration.
Face Painting
Faces painted as Calaveras or La Catrina remind everyone that death is a natural, shared part of life — worn with pride and humour.
Family Gatherings
Generations come together to cook, decorate, remember and laugh. The heart of the festival is family — the living and the dead.
Section 4
What People Believe
Beliefs vary widely between families and regions of Mexico — some are deeply spiritual, others simply cultural. But most families share these ideas:
✨
Spirits Return
Many families believe the souls of loved ones briefly return to visit the living during these two days.
🕯️
Remembering
By naming, photographing and speaking of the dead, families keep their memory — and, they believe, their spirit — alive.
🎉
Celebrating Lives
Death is not seen as an end but as a continuation, so the festival is joyful rather than sombre.
🌳
Respecting Ancestors
Honouring older generations is a way of thanking them for the lives they gave.
🤝
Being Together
Time spent as a family — cooking, singing and remembering — is the heart of the tradition.
Not everyone celebrating Day of the Dead believes spirits literally return — for many families it is above all a way to keep memory, love and identity alive.
Section 5
Fun Facts
🌼
Flower of the Dead
Marigolds (cempasúchil) are called the Flower of the Dead — their scent is said to guide spirits home.
🏛️
UNESCO Heritage
The festival was recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.
🗓️
Two Days
1 November honours children (‘Día de los Angelitos’) and 2 November honours adults.
💀
Calaveras
Skull artwork is called Calaveras — they are colourful and playful, never scary.
🇲🇽
Nationwide
It is celebrated all across Mexico and by Mexican communities worldwide, especially in the US.
🎨
La Catrina
The elegant skeleton figure ‘La Catrina’ was created in 1910 as political satire by José Guadalupe Posada.
Section 6
Watch and Learn
Educational videos from trusted sources including National Geographic, the BBC and PBS.
National Geographic: Day of the Dead 101
BBC Ideas: The Origins of Day of the Dead
PBS Origins: Where Day of the Dead Comes From
Section 7
Photo Gallery
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons. Click any image to enlarge.
Section 8
Interactive Quiz
Fifteen multiple-choice questions in random order. Each answer comes with a short explanation so you learn as you go.
Question 1 of 15Score: 0
When is Day of the Dead celebrated?
Section 9
Challenge Yourself
Match each Day of the Dead word to what it means.
Tap a word on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Section 10
Glossary
- Día de los Muertos
- Spanish for ‘Day of the Dead’ — the Mexican festival honouring deceased loved ones on 1 and 2 November.
- Ofrenda
- A multi-tiered home altar decorated with photos, candles, flowers, food and personal items for the returning spirits.
- Calavera
- A skull, especially the decorated sugar, chocolate or artistic skulls made for the festival.
- Pan de Muerto
- ‘Bread of the Dead’ — a soft, orange-scented sweet bread decorated with bone-shaped dough.
- Marigold (Cempasúchil)
- The bright orange flower whose colour and scent are believed to guide spirits home.
- Ancestor
- A relative from an earlier generation, especially one who has died.
- Tradition
- A custom or belief passed down through generations within a family or culture.
- La Catrina
- The elegant, richly dressed female skeleton that has become the most famous symbol of the festival.