Dia de Los Muertos: Celebrating Mexico's Day of the Dead
On this day, one of Mexico's major national holidays, the living traditionally honor the dead. What could be a sad event is instead colorful, loud and spooky.
Larger-than-life skeletons
Preparations for Dia de Los Muertos begin as early as mid-October. Among other things, larger-than-life dolls are made to accompany the people parading through the streets of Mexico City to gather in Zocalo Square. The procession is a relatively new addition to the celebrations.
Day of the Dead's new look
Fun fact: these big parades, like the one here in Mexico City, have only sprung up in recent years. The trigger for this was the James Bond movie "Spectre". In its opening scene, the British secret agent walks with a woman through a large Dia de Los Muertos parade — and the idea caught on.
Picnic with the dead
A woman sits at a grave in the festively candlelit cemetery in Santa Maria Atzompa in Oaxaca, Mexico. The "Day of the Dead" is marked by numerous customs. Families hold boisterous picnics on the graves of their ancestors. Offerings such as bread, salt, tequila and cigars are handed out.
Artful disguise
An elaborately dressed woman in a parade in Etla. The holiday roughly corresponds to All Souls' Day and combines Christian and pre-Hispanic traditions. The Indians' celebrations are a UNESCO Intangible World Heritage Site. With the offerings and the altars, they aim to open the way to this world for the deceased, so that the spirits bring prosperity and health.
Carpets from sawdust
The traditional creation of "carpets" made of dyed sawdust and other materials to pave the way for a religious procession highlight the creativity of this colorful festival. Afterward, the sawdust is ritually burned or thrown into rivers, causing environmental problems. These days some organizations are switching to sawdust alternatives.
Time for more attention
There is also room for demonstrations before the official holiday. Under the slogan "Day of the Dead Women," hundreds of participants gathered to draw attention to increasing violence against women and femicides in Mexican society. In 2020, at least 975 women were killed in Mexico, and 762 deaths occurred from January to September this year.
Flowers with meaning
Everywhere in the cemeteries in Mexico graves are decorated with colorful and usually orange marigolds. The color is uniquely significant. Believers say that when marigolds are combined with a suitable candle, the souls of the deceased return to this world for a short time to enjoy the joys of life once again.
Creepy parade in El Salvador
The Day of the Dead is also celebrated in some other countries. In Tonacatepeque, El Salvador, the La Calabiuza parade features creepy costumes and people painting themselves to look like skeletons.
Day of the Dead Kite Festival in Guatemala
In Guatemala, a kite-flying festival is held as part of the Day of the Dead celebrations. Made of paper and decorated with colorful patterns that often represent ancestral symbology or contemporary social issues, the giant kites are pulled into the air using a lot of muscle power.