Remembering our loved ones who have passed away is a universal human impulse, just as death is a unifying human experience. Indeed, although death is the natural end of life, many cultures consider it simply a part of our soul’s journey towards a different plane or realm, where our ancestors are already residing. Thus, those who have passed away form part of a long chain of continuous existence that still influences the living. 

This notion is especially clear in the Mexican tradition of Día de Muertos – Day of the Dead – which honors the presence of departed souls through rituals that invite them to ‘visit’ the living, keeping their memory alive. Far from being a sombre, sad occasion, it has a festive ambiance, since it is not primarily a period of mourning – the natural process of letting go and coming to terms with the deceased’ absence – but rather an occasion to call their souls back into our lives and erase the distance between the living and the dead. 

What are the roots of this celebration, and how has it changed over time? 

A Syncretic Tradition: Blending Prehispanic and Catholic Beliefs

Día de Muertos is a result of the mixing of prehispanic practices and Catholic rituals during the Colonial period. Many native groups venerated gods related to Death; the Nahua cult of the Gods of Death Mictecacíhuatl and Mictlantecuhtli are particularly well documented. These gods ruled over Mictlán, the place where deceased souls had to reach - after crossing a deep river and facing other obstacles – in order to become powerful spirits. Thus, prehispanic rites were conducted by the living to facilitate the journey of the dead to Mictlán, and to honor them; these, in turn, could influence and improve the circumstances of the living. These rites coincided with the end of the maize harvest; the fruits of the harvest were shared with ancestors, who were invoked to give their blessings for a plentiful crop in the next cycle. If they were not pleased, they might bring natural disasters or other misfortunes.

With regard to the Catholic tradition, in the VII century Pope Boniface IV began replacing pagan European rituals with worship of Christian relics – the remains of saints - placed at specific pilgrimage sites. In the IX century, Pope Gregory IV declared November 1st as All Saints Day; pilgrims took offerings of bread and food in the form of skulls and skeletons to the shrines of specific saints to honor them. Over time, long pilgrimage journeys were replaced with altars and offerings in homes.  By the beginning of the XI century, the Abbot of Cluny instituted a day to commemorate all deceased Christian souls – November 2nd, All Souls Day.  Catholic authorities officially accepted the idea of Purgatory – a state of limbo where souls stayed until their sins were expiated and they could reach Heaven – in the 1563 Council of Trent, after which All Souls Day also became an occasion to pray for saints to intercede on behalf of penitent souls. 

After the Spanish conquest of Mexico, religious authorities and orders saw an opportunity to modify existing native beliefs and meld them with Catholic traditions, contributing to the population’s evangelization. The common elements of both traditions were the belief that after death, our souls are placed in a separate realm, but still exist in some form (as powerful spirits for prehispanics, and in God’s eternal presence in Heaven for Catholics); also, that these souls need assistance in reaching their final resting place (crossing the river for prehispanics, being freed from Purgatory for Catholics). The Nahua month for worshiping the Gods of Death was shifted so that it would coincide with the Catholic festivities for all saints; Catholic ritual items were added to the existing native offerings.  

Modernization and Nation-Building: Día de Muertos in XIX and XX Century Mexico

The wars between liberals and conservatives that shook 19th century Mexico led to a re-evaluation of religious rites; according to some historians, this made Día de Muertos a more popular cultural festival, less controlled by the Church. As a result of the deep class divisions that existed by the end of that century, the popular press and opponents of Porfirio Diaz’ dictatorship began writing satirical poems (known as calaveritas literarias) about powerful political figures, depicting them as skeletons on the occasion of Día de Muertos to indicate their obsolescence. The famous engraver José Guadalupe Posada continued with this tradition, depicting death as an aristocratic lady in a sophisticated dress and hat, known as La Catrina. 

After the 1910-17 Revolution, authors and painters took up the image of death as a democratic, equalizing force that reaches everyone eventually, regardless of social position. The artist Diego Rivera depicted La Catrina walking among the rich and poor in his famous 1947 mural, Alameda Central. Día de Muertos was included as one of the popular traditions that defined Mexican national identity, mentioned in textbooks and propagated in films and radio. 

In current times, Día de Muertos also provides an opportunity for different groups to carry out vigils in remembrance of victims of violence or human rights abuses, and demand accountability; vigils are also held for victims of natural calamities such as earthquakes or the Covid19 pandemic. 

Main Elements of the Día de Muertos Celebration

Although it is primarily celebrated on the 2nd of November, Día de Muertos encompasses two days: the 1st of November is for the innocent souls of deceased children, while the 2nd is for all adult souls (also known as Día de las Almas Penitentes).

The most essential elements of Día de Muertos are visits to cemeteries and setting up altars for the deceased known as altares de Muertos or ofrendas (offerings). Visits to cemeteries traditionally take place at night; the pathway towards the cemetery is decorated with cempasúchil flowers (a form of bright orange, fragrant marigolds) and candles, and offerings of food, water, and other items are placed around the tombstones by those who remain there to pray and remember their loved ones. 

The purpose of the ofrenda is to offer items that have a specific ritual purpose: facilitating the journey of departed souls to their final resting place, as well as their journey back to visit the living. Elements present since prehispanic times are copal (a form of incense) meant to cleanse the path of evil elements; water, symbolizing purity; salt, for preserving that purity; and flowers, to make the soul feel joyful (especially cempasúchil, which were believed to have curative powers). Other common items, modified or included during Colonial times, are candles, signifying the light of faith and hope; bread (pan de Muertos, a special sweet bread, also symbolizing the body of Christ), skull-shaped chocolates (calaveras), cut paper decorations (papel picado), and images of saints, particularly the Ánimas del Purgatorio – the saints that intercede on behalf of souls who are still in Purgatory. Items that personalize each ofrenda are photographs of deceased loved ones, as well as their favorite food and drinks, which can include liquor to remember good times.

In addition, around these days there may be special Church masses, theatre productions and readings of literary calaveritas. 

Globalization and Commercialization 

Día de Muertos festivities were declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2008, for their deep historical roots, their meaningful community role, and their creative richness. Although this declaration gave due international visibility to the celebration, it also increased tourism around it, leading to greater commercialization within Mexico. 

Although Día de Muertos has been traditionally celebrated by Mexican-American communities across the US for many decades, it has recently become a mainstream phenomenon that is melding together with Halloween-like elements – parades, costumes, skeleton face-painting. Hollywood has played a key role in popularizing the tradition, but also in modifying it to fit the tastes of mass consumption. The blockbuster James Bond Spectre film, released in 2015, which depicts a Día de Muertos parade in Mexico City, propelled the development of ever-larger annual costume parades in Mexico itself, which had never before been a major element of these festivities. 

The highly acclaimed Pixar animated film Coco has also popularized the festivity and opened up a large market for Día de Muertos-themed products. A Barbie Día de Muertos doll in a Catrina-like outfit was released several years ago; fashion magazines give tips on skeleton-themed dresses and makeup.

Día de Muertos has taken many forms over time: depictions of Death itself may be integrated into the texture of daily life, de-mystified, even satirized - but the remembrance of our ancestors and deceased loved ones is a deep sentiment. Analysts of the current commodification of Día de Muertos ask us to reflect on whether it is being trivialized to the point of becoming a mere plastic doll, a fashion statement, and an occasion for an Instagram selfie at a Halloween-style parade; or whether this is just a new layer of inevitably changing rituals, placed over a practice that will retain its timeless, spiritual significance: remembering that the souls of the deceased are always present in the hearts of the living, and indeed, that the dead and the living are part of a universal whole.

References and Resources

Roberto Martínez González y Rocío Maza, “Orígenes e historia de los Días de Muertos en México”, Revista de la Universidad de México, UNAM, October 2023, at: https://www.revistadelauniversidad.mx/articles/dbba591a-a045-4dcc-bfd7-1bcf0de11553/origenes-e-historia-de-los-dias-de-muertos-en-mexico 

Julieta Sanguino, “Día de Muertos: el orígen no tan prehispánico de la tradición mexicana”, El País, October 29, 2021, at: https://elpais.com/mexico/2021-10-29/dia-de-muertos-el-origen-no-tan-prehispanico-de-la-tradicion-mexicana.html?event_log=oklogin 

La festividad indígena dedicada a los muertos en México, Cuadernos de Patrimonio Cultural y Turismo #16, Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (CONACULTA), México, no date, at: https://www.cultura.gob.mx/turismocultural/publi/Cuadernos_19_num/cuaderno16.pdf 

Las fiestas indígenas dedicadas a los muertos, Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial, UNESCO, at: https://ich.unesco.org/es/RL/las-fiestas-indigenas-dedicadas-a-los-muertos-00054 

“Conoces el significado de los elementos de una ofrenda de Día de Muertos?”, Instituto Nacional de los Pueblos Indígenas, Gobierno de México, at: https://www.gob.mx/inpi/articulos/conoces-el-significado-de-los-elementos-de-una-ofrenda-de-dia-de-muertos

 “Día de Muertos: Cuál es el orígen de la Catrina y por qué es una burla a la Muerte?” El Financiero, October 21, 2022, at: https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/culturas/2022/10/21/dia-de-muertos-cual-es-el-origen-de-la-catrina-y-por-que-es-una-burla-a-la-muerte/

Nadra Nittle, “Beyond Sugar Skulls: The History and Culture of Día de Muertos”, PBS Teachers’ Lounge, October 31, 2019, at: https://www.pbs.org/education/blog/beyond-sugar-skulls-the-history-and-culture-of-dia-de-los-muertos 

James F. Peltz, “Dia de Muertos Gets the American Holiday Treatment: Commercialization”, Los Angeles Times, October 30, 2017, at: https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-agenda-retail-muertos-20171030-story.html 

Isabel Dobrín, “Día de los Muertos Comes to Life Across the Mexican Diaspora”, November 2, 2017, National Public Radio (NPR), at: https://www.npr.org/2017/11/02/561527322/mexicos-celebrated-d-a-de-los-muertos-evolves-in-the-u-s