What Is Day of the Dead?
Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday held on November 1 and 2. Families remember and honor deceased relatives with altars, offerings, and gatherings at gravesites.
Key Traditions and Symbols
Common elements include marigold flowers, sugar skulls, candles, and photographs. Families build altars with food, drinks, and personal items the deceased enjoyed.
Origins and Cultural Context
The holiday blends pre-Columbian Indigenous rituals with Spanish Catholic traditions brought during colonization. UNESCO recognized it as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
For more background, see the Day of the Dead Wikipedia entry.
