Dia de los muertos in Mexico
Mexico celebrates Dia de los muertos every November 1st and 2nd. This beautiful holiday aims to remember deceased loved ones through different activities. This tradition comes from a mixture of Mexican pre-Hispanic and European Catholic cultures. Before the Spaniards arrived in the region we know today as “Mexico”, there was already the cult of the dead by different cultures such as the Maya, the Mexica, and the Purepecha.
The worship rendered by the Mexica is one of the most famous among Mesoamerican cultures. These cultures used to have two important celebrations to venerate the dead: Miccailhuitontli and Hueymiccailhuitl.
The holiday that became Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) commemorates the ninth month of the Mexica solar calendar. This month was celebrated throughout. The ninth month, Tlaxochimaco (birth of flowers), was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli. Families held a solemn vigil and cooked in remembrance of the dead. The next day, they placed the food on the tombs.
Dia de los Muertos, as we know it today, is a deeper look at the syncretism that took place with the arrival of Europeans to Mexican lands. For instance, the Mexica believed that when a person died, his spirit traveled to the underworld called the Mictlan. Then, the dead had to start a long crossing. On the anniversary of their death, every year, an altar would be made with offerings that would help them on their journey.
For example, objects that belonged to them, food, and their favorite drink could be placed on the altar. Additionally, people used to bury a little Xoloitzcuintle dog next to him to help him cross over and be a guide before he came to rest for the rest of his afterlife.
In the past, no date coincided exactly with November 2nd, which is the official date of All Souls’ Day. However, Spain did commemorate All Saints’ Day (All Hallows’ Eve) on November 1st, and on November 2nd, the Feast of the Faithful Departed. In Spain, people blessed the food to be eaten by the saints and prayed for the souls of the dead to come out of purgatory.
When the Spaniards arrived in Mexico, the process of syncretism began when two different cultures merged. Later in the 18th century, Dia de los Muertos had already been established. In the 19th century, on November 1st, 1821, the City Council of Mexico City made this festivity official as a great holiday!
The correct way to say it in Mexico is Dia de Muertos. Instead, Dia de Los Muertos is a direct translation of Day of the Dead in English. But if you want to sound more like a true local, Dia de Muertos is the correct way to say it.
After this celebration was declared an official holiday, people began to gather outside the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City’s Zocalo to pray and eat. Several food stalls and activities were starting from November 1st until November 2nd. The dead used to be buried in churches, but when an epidemic hit in 1833, a cholera epidemic swept through Europe. Because of this, the dead were ordered to be taken to cemeteries outside the city, even in Mexico.
Due to the walk duration, people carried a lot of food, such as bread, drinks like atole and coffee, and more food that their deceased relative would like. This custom prevails in many states of Mexico. For example, in Michoacan, all the cemeteries still have very impressive food parties. In the southern part of Mexico City, these wonderful and colorful customs are also carried out. 🕯️Check out our post: Traditional Food of Mexico (Top 20 Dishes).
There are several differences between these two celebrations. However, you can notice similarities and things that make them both very special and unique.
As we said before, Samhain, the day of the harvest, was on October 31. On that date, when time becomes darker, the wall that separates the living from the dead disappears completely. It was a great custom to make offerings of the harvest for the dead, to dress up, and to make huge bonfires.
When Christianity spread throughout Europe, there was already a celebration of All Saints. However, in the year 741, Pope Gregory II moved this celebration to October 1st to make it coincide with the day before the Celtic Samhain. From here, the famous All Saints’ Eve was born. Later in the Anglo-Saxon world, it would be the famous Halloween.
It is said that this date is related to the Roman holiday Feralia. Here too, the dead were remembered, and offerings of salt, bread, and precious flowers were brought to them and decorated unimaginably. Nowadays, Halloween has a different tinge due to the pop culture that Hollywood created with great horror classics. Even so, the tradition of its legends, such as the legend of Stingy Jack or the tradition of the famous Trick or Treat, remains. Check out our Mexican urban legends article! 👻
When the Spaniards arrived in Mesoamerica in the 16th century, they brought the celebration of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Both celebrations have an enormous syncretism full of history, culture, and tradition. Also, you can see the resemblance with Feralia, specifically due to the Roman conquest of the Hispanic zone a thousand years ago.
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The festivities include practices such as graves with ornaments and setting up altars on the tombstones. In fact, these have great significance for families because they aim to help lead the souls and walk on a good path after death. Day of the Dead in Mexico City is something you need to experience at least once in a lifetime!
It was 2015, and there was a huge furor over the new James Bond movie Spectre. Everybody was excited to see the iconic character save the world again. Without having it in mind, this famous franchise gave Mexico the one and only Day of the Dead parade.
Part of the film was shot in Mexico City, where a Day of the Dead celebration can be seen (the first parade in Mexico City). From that day on, Mexico City would hold a parade every year just like the one in the movie, and even better!
Although the festival’s origins are not pre-Hispanic or created purely by Mexicans, each year, it seeks to promote the amazing Mexican tradition and culture through the Day of the Dead. In this parade, we can see floats, giant skulls, majestic floral decorations, and lots of art from different states of Mexico.
According to the Dia de los Muertos tradition Mexicans dedicate this delicious bread to those who return to Earth to be with their families. There are many different presentations, flavors, and sizes. The event will take place on October 19 and 20 at the Instituto Pedagógico Anglo Español in the Roma neighborhood from 12 pm to 7 pm. The entrance fee will be $50.
La Llorona is a multidisciplinary performance of music, theater, and dance. In Xochimilco, year after year through the dances, the costumes, and the staging, the spectators have the opportunity to remember, become aware, and take action on the Dia de los Muertos tradition. Check out our post about the scary Island of the Dolls in Xochimilco! 🎎
Also known as “The Weeping Woman” this show represents this traditional Mexican story. For those who don’t know, it is about a ghostly woman who wanders along canals and rivers, crying for her missing children. The ‘trajinera’ boats have a limited capacity of 20 people, and there is a space of 2m between each person. At the entrance, there are sanitizing arches and hand sanitizer. In addition, the trajineras have all the sanitary requirements for a better experience. You can get your tickets here!
One distinctive way to celebrate this festivity is with the altars (ofrendas). In honor of the deceased, at every Mexican home, you can see these lovely altars. To illustrate, Mexicans offer food, beverages, and special possessions to celebrate the ones who aren’t among us. You can admire these masterpieces all over Mexico City!
The Alebrijes parade will take place on Saturday, October 19. Finally, if you want to see the pieces that participated in the Parade of Monumental Alebrijes 2024, you can visit them from Saturday, October 19 to Sunday, November 3 at Paseo de la Reforma Avenue in Mexico City. The Mega Procession of Catrinas 2024 will be on Sunday, October 27th. In each edition, different contingents with different themes are organized.
Mixquic holds a special place in Mexican culture. It is one of the most important destinations for celebrating Dia de los Muertos in Mexico. This annual event is a deep vision of Mexican traditions and beliefs surrounding death and the afterlife. ☠️Check out our Mixquic Experience (9 h).
For the people of Mixquic, Dia de los Muertos is not something to be sad for but rather a colorful celebration of the lives of the ones that are no longer here on Earth. The town’s name, Mixquic, translates to “Place of the Clouds” in the indigenous Nahuatl language. The town’s location adds a mystical atmosphere that makes more magical and enchanting the celebration.💀Check out our post to learn more about Mixquic here!
Walk around cobbled alleys, volcanic stone constructions, and old houses in a Colonial environment full of nature and provincial airs. Enjoy two and a half hours of historical facts and the legends of the Center of Coyoacan. This celebration in Coyoacan is full of color, creativity, tradition, celebration, and lots of fun. Learn the stories the streets, alleys, and corners of this neighborhood whisper in the Dia de los Muertos special routes.
If you are looking for a unique and wonderful place to buy souvenirs and things for your Dia de los Muertos offering, this is the place you were looking for. There are papel picado (chopped paper), pan de muerto (dead bread), sugar skulls, costumes, and thousands of cempasuchil (marigold) flowers. These traditional Dia de Muertos flowers adorn the aisles of the market, making the place smell of tradition, culture, and love. The color orange throughout the market will make you believe you are inside a sunset because of the orange you see everywhere.
The ancient Mesoamerican City of the Gods holds special significance during Dia de los Muertos celebrations. This place is thought to have been a major religious center where gruesome sacrifices honoring the dead were made. For Dia de los Muertos 2024, different activities occur around the monumental Teotihuacan pyramids, including historic edifices like the Pyramid of Sun and the Valley of Moon.
People think these big stone buildings were used for old ceremonies about death. They were built to match up with stars and planets in the sky. For Día de los Muertos 2024, people will probably put up special tables, orange flowers, and colorful paper decorations all around. This shows how old traditions mix with new ways of remembering people who have died. Check out our Aztec pyramids article.
Want to experience Dia de los Muertos 2024 without the tourist masses? Check out Cuernavaca and Ocotepec. In the historic center of Cuernavaca, you will find altars in museum gardens and Dia de los Muertos exhibitions. The streets of the city light up with colorful adornments, flowers, and altars. Shedding light on traditional rituals in Cuernavaca life. Check out our Dia de los Muertos in Cuernavaca and Ocotepec tour! 📿
For a more intimate experience, visit the close town of Ocotepec. The centuries-old traditions are still honored with great zeal. Neighbors welcome strangers into their homes, often setting up rich altars to honor their dead family members. Stroll the market, explore its traditional churches, taste traditional pan de muerto and warm atole, or visit the tranquil chapel behind the town decorated in marigolds and candles. Ocotepec is where you will witness the soul of Dia de los Muertos, a personal and shared experience in remembrance and celebration.
Set in the mountains of Morelos, it is said to have a magical and mystical ambiance around it. The cobblestone streets of this town are covered with marigold petals, leading to altars honoring the dead at the Ex-Convent of the Nativity. You can walk through the main market for typical souvenirs and conquer the Tepozteco mountain, so you can have a great view of the festivals underneath.
Here, ancient and modern traditions mix at a beautiful archaeological site that was important to the Olmec civilization. For Dia de los Muertos 2024, night tours will showcase some of the mystic energy left at this spot. You can also enjoy a tour of prehispanic death rituals. Near the ancient rock carvings, local families often set up altars that merge past and present.
This small town right outside Morelos is best known for the intricate and colorful Dia de los Muertos sawdust carpets. Every year, people fill the streets with elaborate paper skeletons and flowers with religious symbols. The entire town’s plazas will likely be lined with altars, and the smoke of copal incense in every corner.
Located near the Popocatepetl volcano, this city will host nighttime visits to local cemeteries where you can see families and friends leaving candles, photos, and flowers for their loved ones. Sometimes, the community shares in traditional fayre and even tells a tale or two, giving an insight into their ways. This tradition is pretty common in many other parts of Mexico.
Famous for its monumental altars, this town in Puebla is a must for Dia de los Muertos 2024. Families may well offer to open up their own homes to demonstrate massive, multi-tiered altars. These altars are decked with brightly colored, intricate paper cutouts and Catholic symbols, reflecting the holiday’s themes. You can also find fruit, candles, and photographs of family members who have passed away. You can also find cultural events in the town’s main square (with traditional dancing, food, and music).
This City of Flowers will glow so well for Dia de los Muertos 2024. The town’s streets turn into into stunning floral carpets, or “tapetes de flores,” that have mostly locally grown marigolds. The carpets have a lot of colorful flowers and paintings, with their paths set next to the Popocatepetl volcano, and some believe these pathways help guide spirits back to our world.
Festivities will probably include open houses-locals often create elaborate altars there, as traditional dances and music in the central plaza, as well made too if you have a chance of sampling regional specialties like mole poblano and pan de muerto ice cream. Yes, you read PAN DE MUERTO ICE-CREAM. 😱 In the evening, candlelit processions offer a moving combination of tradition and beauty-and of reverence for what this Mexican holiday truly means.
The state of Oaxaca is famous for its colorful celebrations. There are always intricate sand tapestries in the streets, candlelit cemetery vigils, and comparsas (street parades) of people dressed up like skeletons, catrinas, devils, and other traditional characters for this date. Vendors will occupy the city markets with biscuits, colored sugar skulls, and marigolds. Want to celebrate an incredible Dia de los Muertos in 2024? Head to Oaxaca, obviously.
The Purepecha area surrounding Lake Patzcuaro in Michoacan is one of Mexico’s most traditional settings for Dia de los Muertos observances. In Patzcuaro, there will be lots of altars, candles, and exhibitions. Right on the island of Janitzio, fishermen will fill their canoes with candles and do “Dance fictitious Fish” amongst the lake. Families in Tzintzuntzan stay up all night watching over the dead, bedecking graves with flowers and candles.
The Hanal Pixan, the Mayan version of Dia de los Muertos, occurs in Campeche, blending ancient traditions with colonial influences. This “Food for the Souls” festival typically lasts from October 31 to November 2, with each day dedicated to different spirits. In Campeche, families create elaborate altars adorned with traditional foods like mucbil pollo (a large tamal), fruits, and local sweets.
A unique aspect of Campeche’s celebration is the “Limpieza de los Santos Restos” (Cleaning of the Holy Remains), where families visit cemeteries to clean and decorate the graves of their loved ones. They often repaint tombs, replace flowers, and leave offerings. As night falls, the cemeteries become alive with candlelight, prayers, and sometimes even live music, creating an atmosphere that is both solemn and celebratory, embodying the Mayan belief in the cyclical nature of life and death.
The birthplace of the legendary Catrina figure, Aguascalientes throws a Festival de Calaveras. In this city, expect huge Catrina parades, art exhibitions of skeletons and traditional sugar skulls, and a carnival atmosphere. The city typically erects a giant altar dedicated to Posada (creator of the Catrina), complete with gorgeous Catrina sculptures and traditional ofrendas.
As you can see, this Mexican tradition is a blend of cultures. In fact, it goes from Roman culture, Mexica, and Christian culture. You will never regret discovering Mexican tradition through the eyes of its people and its traditions. Don’t be afraid to join this party; death is only the beginning. Get ready to enjoy this Dia de los Muertos 2024 in incredible places in Mexico you wouldn’t ever imagined they were real!
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