Many cultures commemorate their dead. In Mexico, el Día de los Muertos— a tradition with ancient Indigenous roots—is observed on November 1 and 2. Long before the colonial era, communities across Mesoamerica honored their dead with offerings of food, drink, flowers, and incense, guided by a cyclical view of life and death. In the 16th century, these practices intertwined with the Catholic calendar—All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day—and the modern celebration took shape, with practices varying by region and family.

Families may tend graves and keep overnight cemetery vigils, build home ofrendas with photographs, marigolds, candles, papel picado, and favorite foods, and participate in church observances such as Masses and All Souls devotions—often doing more than one. Together, these gestures are intended to welcome the ancestors—saying in essence, “you are still part of the family, and we love you.”