Dia de los Muertos Day of the Dead Mexico and Latin America

The Day of the Dead (*Día de los Muertos*) is a vibrant and deeply symbolic celebration observed in Mexico and various South American countries, though each region infuses its own cultural and spiritual essence into the holiday. In Mexico, the tradition is known for its festive, colorful altars, parades, and the iconic use of calaveras (decorative skulls) that symbolize death as a part of life’s cycle. However, across South America, countries like Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru observe the holiday with more solemn and introspective customs, blending Indigenous beliefs and Catholicism. 

While skull imagery also plays a role in some regions, such as Bolivia’s *Fiesta de las Ñatitas* (Festival of the Skulls), where real skulls are used to honor the dead, the focus shifts from celebration to quiet remembrance and spiritual connection with ancestors. Each country offers a unique perspective on death, creating a rich tapestry of traditions that reflect both life’s continuity and the enduring presence of those who have passed on.

What is a Calavera

Calavera is Spanish for “skull” and in Mexico, it has a much deeper meaning. There is a long tradition of art depicting skeletons in Mexico. Calaveras means skulls and by extension of course skeletons. Dia De Los Muertos is not celebrated on Halloween and it is not tied to this now secular day of trick or treating. This is just one of the many Mexican festivals you will find across the country.

All over Mexico, people paint their faces as incredibly beautiful skulls to celebrate the Day of the Dead. The skull face paint represents their ancestors who have passed on and celebrates the beauty and necessity of death. La Catrina is the name used by the women of Mexico when they paint their faces to resemble skulls. 

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Jose Guadalupe Posada began creating engraving and etchings to illustrate the newspapers of the day called broadsheets. His prints of skeletons doing everyday jobs are still called Calaveras today.

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Meaning of the Dia de los Muertos Calaveras

Posada was the first to sketch the skeletons wearing contemporary clothes and become part of the day to day scenes’ that portrayed the upper-class Mexican. Of course, the Calaveras were usually the servant girl wearing cast-off clothes. Calavera etchings were generally of women because in Mexico death is portrayed as a woman (la Muerte).

Posadas’s most famous etching is of La Calavera Catrina who has become an icon in Mexico representing the Dia De Los Muertos. The name La Calavera Catrina is derived from Diego Rivera’s work Dream of a Sunday afternoon along Central Alameda.

The mural portrays over 400 years of Mexican history and it includes Posada, Frida Kahlo and himself. La Catrina has been given a body and a very expensive outfit; it is believed Rivera depicted Calavera this way to indicate that death applies to all of us including the rich. The culture of La Calavera Catrina is also politically inclined as it has ties to The Porfirio Diaz regime, whose accomplishments include modernizing Mexico in spite of the existing governments’ repressions and corruption.

So the Catrina was used to symbolize the differences between the upper and lower classes. The thought is that we are all really just a bag of bones beneath our fancy clothes and that the rich have nothing on the rest of us. In societal terms, it was also a new way of looking at class and wealth within a society that was rapidly changing. These days La Catrina has come to represent the Day of the Dead and the images of her and other skeletons are now an art form in Mexico.

Day of the Dead Skulls

Calavera in Mexico can mean one of three things. During Los Dias de Los Muertos you will see a huge variety of edible sugar skulls. These were made originally from sugar and now can be found in anything sweet from chocolate to decorated cookies. You will also see Dia de los Muertos skulls on the Calavera candles decorating the graves of family members. Be aware that many of these sugar skull candies are decorated with non-edible sequins, rhinestones, and other items that should not be eaten.

Calaveras are also funny poems that have at their core jokes about politicians, famous people or simply family members. Finally, Calaveras can be spotted on everything from t-shirts to designer clothing, graffiti murals, tattoos, incredible Huichol art, sculptures and anything in between. 

Calaveras & Sugar Skulls 

These days many people are choosing to get a Sugar Skull tattoo for various reasons, artistic skull tattoo designs can be colourful, or done in black and white and used to commemorate loved ones. Or simply because they contain so many hidden meanings and are essentially a symbol of the celebration of life.

The skull tattoos incorporate many meaningful images and icons for those who get one. Flowers are often incorporated into Dia de los Muertos skull designs. This mixing of the skull, associated with death with flowers, is a symbol in western culture associated with life and love. The meaning of el Dia de los Muertos is not only to remember the dead but also to overcome the fear of death and celebrate life!

In Mexico, the Aztec culture believed life on earth to be something of an illusion – death was a positive step forward into a higher level of conscience.For the Aztecs, skulls were a positive symbol, not only of death but also of rebirth.

Marigold is believed to be the flower of the dead. A lot of decoration is done around the eyes with these flowers to symbolize life; cobwebs act as a contrasting element representing death. Many times, burning candles are placed inside the eye circle, symbolizing remembrance.

Dia de los Muertos Terms

Here’s a list of essential vocabulary terms and their definitions related to the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos):

1. Altar (Ofrenda)

An altar created to honor and welcome the spirits of the deceased back to the world of the living. These altars are decorated with photos, candles, food, and offerings to encourage the spirits to visit.

2. Calaveras

Decorative skulls, typically made from sugar or clay, symbolizing death and rebirth. These skulls are often brightly painted and are central to the imagery of the Day of the Dead.

3. Calavera Catrina

A famous skeleton figure dressed in elegant European-style clothing, symbolizing the idea that death comes for everyone, regardless of social status. Created by Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada, La Catrina has become an iconic symbol of Día de los Muertos.

4. Pan de Muerto

“Bread of the Dead,” a traditional sweet bread baked specifically for the holiday. It is often flavored with orange zest and topped with sugar, symbolizing the circle of life and death.

5. Cempasúchil (Marigold Flowers)

Bright orange and yellow marigolds, also known as “flowers of the dead,” are used to decorate altars and graves. Their strong scent and vivid color are believed to guide spirits back to the world of the living.

6. Velas (Candles)

Candles are lit on altars and graves to light the way for the spirits, helping them find their way back to visit their families during the celebration.

7. Papel Picado

Delicately cut paper banners that are hung around altars or in the streets. The intricate designs often include skulls, flowers, and other motifs representing life and death, and they symbolize the fragility of life.

8. Fotografías (Photographs)

Pictures of the deceased are placed on the altar to honor and remember loved ones. These photos serve as a reminder of those who have passed and invite their spirits back during the celebration.

9. Copal

A type of incense traditionally burned on altars. The fragrant smoke is believed to purify the environment and attract spirits to the offerings laid out for them.

10. Flores (Flowers)

Besides marigolds, other flowers are also used to decorate graves and altars, symbolizing the beauty and ephemerality of life.

11. Mictlán

In Aztec mythology, this was the underworld or land of the dead, where souls traveled after death. The journey to Mictlán was long and challenging, and offerings on Día de los Muertos are meant to ease this journey.

12. Tzompantli

An ancient Aztec display of rows of skulls that honored the dead and represented the cyclical nature of life and death. This imagery influences many modern Day of the Dead decorations.

13. All Saints’ Day (Día de Todos los Santos)

Celebrated on November 1st, this day is dedicated to children who have passed away, known as angelitos (little angels). This marks the beginning of the Day of the Dead celebrations.

14. All Souls’ Day (Día de los Fieles Difuntos)

Observed on November 2nd, this day is dedicated to the adult deceased. It is the main day for honoring and remembering the souls of departed family members.

15. Guaguas de Pan

A traditional bread baked in Ecuador for Día de los Difuntos, shaped like babies or dolls to represent the deceased, especially children.

16. Colada Morada

A thick, purple drink made from fruits and purple corn, traditionally served in Ecuador alongside guaguas de pan during Día de los Difuntos as part of the offerings to the deceased.

17. Fiesta de las Ñatitas

A Bolivian tradition during the Day of the Dead where families keep and decorate the skulls (ñatitas) of their loved ones, offering them flowers, cigarettes, and food in exchange for protection and blessings.

18. La Muerte

A personification of death often depicted in Mexican culture, highlighting the acceptance of death as a natural part of life. Common representations include skeletal figures like La Catrina.

19. Tanta Wawa

A sweet bread baked in Peru and Bolivia during Día de los Difuntos, shaped like a baby to honor deceased loved ones, particularly children.

20. Exvotos

Offerings or votive objects placed on altars as a sign of gratitude to the dead for answering prayers or providing protection in Mexican tradition.

This vocabulary reflects the depth and diversity of Day of the Dead traditions across Latin America, with each term representing an important element of the celebration and its spiritual significance.

Dia de los Muertos – Day of the Dead in Mexico

Catrinas and Calaveras, sugar skulls, skeleton candy, bright colours and celebrations similar to Halloween are how people think of the Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos. People are still shocked at the way that death is celebrated here in Mexico. The Day of the Dead is actually a week of joyous celebration because the dead get to come back and celebrate with their families and loved ones. The Nobel Prize-winning Mexican writer Octavio Paz explains in his book Labyrinth of Solitude.

“The Mexican … is familiar with death, jokes about it caresses it, sleeps with it, and celebrates it. True, there is as much fear in his attitude as in that of others, but at least death is not hidden away: he looks at it face to face, with impatience, disdain or irony.”

The Day of the Dead that is celebrated throughout Mexico for centuries before Christianity came in. Prior to the Spanish indigenous peoples of central and Latin America celebrated and paid their respects to those who had passed away. Anthropology texts state that the Aztecs had a month-long festival that was dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl who was the ruler of the afterlife.

Christianity in its efforts to ensure the “pagans” were “saved” moved the dates to October so that the celebration coincided with the Catholic holidays of All Souls Day and All Saints Day. This early cultural appropriation is ongoing and can be considered offensive when Westerners take over the symbols and cultural identity of this deeply held Latino sacred belief system.

Here in Mexico, there are as many types of celebrations and activities as there are regions and cities. November 1st is dedicated to Dia De Los Inocentes which is the day to honour and pay tribute to the innocents, according to legend the gates of heaven are opened on October 31st at midnight and the spirits of all the angelitos (children) are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours. November 2nd is Dia De Los Muertos the day for honouring and celebrating the lost adult lives.

Cemeteries are cleaned up and altars are built on gravesites or at home. Mexicans make ofrendas (offerings) of favourite foods, toys anything that might help the guide the souls to their loved ones waiting at the altars.

Sugar skulls, pan de Muertos, pictures, toys and drinks like horchatas, water, and pop are set out for the little ones on November 1st. On November 2nd the altars sometimes gain a little tequila or mescal and cigarettes are for the adults. Wild marigolds and cockscombs adorn the altars along with candied sugar skulls, little skeletons and lots of candles.

This is not an inexpensive holiday for Mexican families, many still live in deep poverty and in rural areas wages are hard to come by. Some will spend several months’ income to honour their dead as they believe that contented spirits will give good luck, wisdom and protection to the living.

Those beautiful Mexican embroidered dresses worn for festivals and celebrations are known as Huipiles

On November 2nd in the afternoon is when whole families move to the cemetery. The tombs are cleaned and decorated, the village band or musicians entertain and folks reminisce and tell stories of the loved ones who have passed. This tradition is important for keeping the villages close; the family and the community are vitally important to Mexicans and as such is a cultural celebration rather than a religious one.

The Day of the Dead Central and South America

The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is a celebration most commonly associated with Mexican traditions. However, across South America, different countries and cultures have their own unique ways of honoring the dead, which often vary significantly from the Mexican customs. Here’s a look at some of these unique traditions:

Ecuador: Día de los Difuntos

In Ecuador, the Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Deceased) blends Indigenous and Catholic traditions. On November 2nd, Ecuadorians honor their ancestors by visiting cemeteries and decorating graves with flowers and offerings, much like in Mexico. However, a unique part of Ecuadorian tradition is the consumption of special foods, such as: Guaguas de pan these are sweet bread shaped like babies or dolls, symbolizing the deceased.

Families often gather at cemeteries to eat these foods together as a symbolic act of communion with the dead, but the overall mood is more reflective and somber compared to Mexico’s lively celebrations.

Bolivia: Fiesta de las Ñatitas

In Bolivia, the Day of the Dead is observed on November 2nd, but with an unusual tradition called Fiesta de las Ñatitas (Festival of the Skulls). Unlike Mexico, where decorated sugar skulls (calaveras) are used, some Bolivian families keep the actual skulls of their deceased relatives or community members as sacred objects.

The skulls, often kept in homes throughout the year, are brought out during this festival, decorated with flowers, hats, and cigarettes. People believe that the ñatitas (the skulls) offer protection, blessings, and guidance.

Families take the skulls to cemeteries or even churches, where they are blessed by priests, and offerings like alcohol, food, and cigarettes are made to honor them. This custom has its roots in pre-Hispanic Andean beliefs, where skulls are seen as powerful spiritual symbols, representing a direct connection to the ancestors.

Peru: Día de los Difuntos

In Peru, particularly in rural Andean regions, the Day of the Dead combines Catholic elements with ancient Incan rituals. The tradition focuses heavily on family and community gatherings in cemeteries.

On November 1st (All Saints’ Day), the graves of children are decorated, while on November 2nd (All Souls’ Day), adult graves are honored. Families clean and maintain the graves of their loved ones, decorating them with flowers, candles, and food offerings. Food plays a significant role, with items like tanta wawa (similar to Ecuador’s guagua de pan), as well as chicha, a fermented corn drink.

A unique feature in Peru is the practice of offering food to both the living and the dead, symbolizing a shared meal. Some Andean communities also observe more traditional rituals, such as playing specific types of music at cemeteries, which are believed to guide spirits on their journey.

Brazil: Finados

In Brazil, Dia de Finados (Day of the Dead), observed on November 2nd, is more closely tied to Catholic traditions, and it is celebrated with solemnity. The holiday is marked by visits to cemeteries to clean and decorate graves with flowers and candles. Catholic masses are held throughout the day in memory of the dead. Unlike the colorful celebrations in Mexico, the mood in Brazil is more reserved and reflective. There is no use of sugar skulls, altars, or lively parades.

Venezuela: Indigenous Traditions

In some Indigenous communities of Venezuela, the Day of the Dead is celebrated with rituals that blend Catholic and Indigenous beliefs. For example, the Wayuu people of Venezuela and Colombia practice a unique form of ancestor veneration.

One of their rituals involves the exhumation of bones of the deceased. After a certain number of years, the bones are cleaned, rewrapped, and given a second burial, a practice that is believed to help the soul of the deceased transition to the afterlife.

The Wayuu people honor their dead not just on one day but through various ceremonies throughout the year, reflecting their belief in the cyclical nature of life and death.

Colombia: Día de los Difuntos

In Colombia, Día de los Difuntos is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. The celebration is similar to other South American countries in terms of its emphasis on cemetery visits, grave cleaning, and prayers for the dead. However, in Colombia, the tradition is primarily religious and family-oriented, with less of the festive and colorful aspects seen in Mexican traditions.

There are fewer large public displays or parades, and the focus is on masses and private family gatherings. Colombian families often spend the day attending church services and praying for the souls of their loved ones, seeking to ensure their peaceful rest.

While South American countries share a reverence for the dead with Mexican Día de los Muertos traditions, many have their own distinct rituals and customs. These differences reflect each region’s unique blend of Indigenous beliefs, colonial history, and cultural values.

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