Celebrating Day of the Dead in Mexico

Day of the Dead is celebrated each year on November 1 and 2—Día de los Angelitos and Día de los Difuntos, respectively—and coincides with the Roman Catholic celebrations of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Most people who celebrate Day of the Dead by holding graveside vigils will arrive weeks in advance to begin cleaning the headstones, before sitting up with their deceased from the night of October 31 onwards.

However, you can expect to see the country begin to carpet itself with cempasuchiles (Mexican marigolds), calacas (skeletons), and Catrinas (sugar skulls) from mid-October onwards. Plus, plenty of parades, markets, and Day of the Dead–themed events often take place prior to the official dates.

Most of Mexico’s best-known Day of the Dead celebrations take place in the central and southern stretches of the country, particularly Mexico City, Oaxaca, and the Yucatán Peninsula. For a wealth of interesting events, massive public altars, and major parades—including the Spectre-inspired Desfile de Día de Muertos—head to Mexico City, where Day of the Dead is celebrated with a bang. And for cemeteries, the nearby town of San Andrés Mixquic is also well known for its poignant celebrations, which include a midnight candlelit vigil held in the cemetery.

Oaxaca’s festivities are equally legendary, with street parades, costumed participants, and an embarrassment of riches when it comes to some of the country’s most delicious seasonal cuisine. Then there are the popular celebrations held on Isla Janitzio in the middle of Lake Pátzcuaro, Michoacán. Expect to find moving graveside vigils, delicious food, and much more.

Day of the Dead in Mexico is celebrated in a variety of ways, depending on the community and culture. However, there are some common elements in most celebrations.

Altar building takes center stage throughout the country, as colorful ofrendas are dedicated to the dead. Expect to see fluttering, delicate papel picado (paper bunting), dainty sugar skulls, lit candles, cempasuchiles, and other personal effects.

Graveside vigils are another popular way to mark the day, as family members spend the night at the tombs of their deceased loved ones, lighting candles and preparing ofrendas to guide them back into the land of the living for the evening.

Of course, food is another major element of Day of the Dead in Mexico. Look out for a wealth of pan de muerto (literally “dead bread”) which differs in shape, size, flavor, and taste from region to region. The orange-flavored, sugar-dusted version is one of the most well-known and popular though.

Finally, pay special attention to the number of calaveras and calacas (skulls and skeletons) dotted about the place. While these spooky-to-some figures have always had their place in Day of the Dead celebrations, they also recall the satirical illustration of La Catrina garbancera by Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada, one now intimately linked to the season.