Traditions and Symbols
These elaborately decorated altars are built in homes and cemeteries to welcome deceased loved ones.
What are ofrendas?
This sweet, yeast-based baked good is traditionally decorated with dough shaped like crossbones on top.
What is pan de muerto (bread of the dead)?
While November 1st is dedicated to deceased children, November 2nd is dedicated to honoring these individuals.
Who are deceased adults?
This 2017 Pixar animated film follows a young boy named Miguel as he accidentally journeys to the Land of the Dead.
What is Coco?
Día de los Muertos originated in this country, though it is now celebrated by people of its heritage worldwide.
What is Mexico?
This bright orange flower is believed to guide spirits back to the living with its vibrant color and strong scent.
What is the cempasúchil (or marigold)?
Sugar is molded into the shape of this anatomical feature and decorated with colorful icing to create iconic holiday treats.
What is a calavera (or sugar skull)?
The modern holiday evolved from a blending of 16th-century Spanish Catholic traditions and the rituals of this ancient Mesoamerican empire.
What is the Aztec Empire?
The Aztec "Lady of the Dead," Mictecacihuatl, inspired modern holiday decorations that resemble this bony framework of the human body.
What is a skeleton?
Families often spend the night cleaning tombs, bringing flowers, and holding vigils in these locations.
What are cemeteries (or graveyards)?
This colorful, perforated tissue paper is strung across streets and altars to represent the fragility of life.
What is papel picado?
These pockets of corn masa, often filled with meat and steamed in corn husks, are a staple offering on altars.
What are tamales?
Spanish conquistadors merged indigenous summer death festivals with this Catholic holiday celebrated on November 1st.
What is All Saints' Day?
This iconic Mexican painter, famous for her distinctive self-portraits, is one of the most common historical figures honored on modern ofrendas.
Who is Frida Kahlo?
The 2015 James Bond film Spectre inspired this capital city to start hosting a massive, highly produced Day of the Dead parade.
What is Mexico City?
Featured as the character Dante in the movie Coco, the hairless Xoloitzcuintli is a Mexican breed of this common pet believed to guide souls.
What is a dog?
This complex, rich sauce made with chilies and chocolate is a popular celebratory dish placed on ofrendas.
What is mole?
In 2008, this United Nations agency added Día de los Muertos to its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
What is UNESCO?
These traditional Mexican musical groups, famous for wearing charro suits and large sombreros, are often hired to play songs at gravesites to honor the dead.
What is a mariachi band?
One of the largest Day of the Dead events in the United States takes place among the famous graves of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in this California city.
What is Los Angeles?
The natural tree resin known as copal is burned on altars to purify the air, acting as this aromatic, smoke-producing substance.
What is incense?
5 flavors of empanadas we ordered today
What are Jalapeno and cheese, ham and cheese, chicken, and beef
This common seasoning is often placed on an altar in a small dish or poured into a cross shape to help purify the returning spirits.
What is salt?
This famous Mexican muralist painted La Catrina in the center of his masterpiece, "Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central."
Who is Diego Rivera?
Arriving in Mexico just in time for the holiday, millions of these migrating insects are traditionally believed to hold the returning souls of ancestors.
What are monarch butterflies?