Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

October 9 – November 4, 2022

Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 1 and 2 throughout Latin America, but is more closely associated with Mexico, where it originated. A joyous remembrance of the lives of family members and loved ones who have died, the holiday is a celebration of the cycle of life. Traditionally, it is said the souls of the dead return to visit the living for a few brief hours during the celebrations.

In Mexico, Día de los Muertos is marked by festive celebrations to honor the deceased. Cemeteries are cleaned and decorated, special food and candies made, and home altars are designed with offerings (ofrendas) to the dead of the things they enjoyed most in life, including food, drink, and music.

Día de los Muertos is a melding of traditions, Catholic and indigenous. Mexico’s indigenous people preserved their traditions within the accepted practices of the colonial authority, sustaining them through the generations. What has been preserved across time is the message that death is a part of life and the dead live on through our rituals of remembrance.