The Real Celebration of Día de Muertos in Mexico
By Kevin Marsden (IG @kevinmarsden_)
In Mexico, Día de Muertos is celebrated from late October through November 2, a sacred time when it’s believed that departed loved ones return symbolically to reunite with their families. During these days, homes and cemeteries are filled with vibrant altares (altars) decorated with flores de cempasúchil, candles, copal incense, papel picado, and traditional foods like Pan de Muerto, tamales, mole, or hot chocolate.
Each altar honors loved ones with photos and personal objects, blending Catholic faith and Indigenous worldviews that first intertwined when European celebrations like Todos los Santos and Fieles Difuntos met Mesoamerican rituals honoring the dead. From that fusion came a living, mestizo tradition. One of memory, love, and community, keeping the presence of the departed alive.
The origins of Day of the Dead trace back to the ancient Mexica belief in Mictlán, the underworld ruled by Mictlantecuhtli, where souls found rest after a nine-level spiritual journey symbolizing the release from earthly life. To reach that place, each soul had to cross a river with the help of a perro pardo, a brown dog acting as a faithful guide toward eternal peace. Death, in this vision, wasn’t an end; it was a transformation, a return of the spirit to its cosmic origin. That’s why Día de Muertos is a celebration of joy, love, and remembrance. Through flowers, food, copal, music, and light, families symbolically welcome the souls back home, their path guided by the scent of marigolds and flickering candles. More than a mourning ritual, it’s an affirmation of life, a reminder that the departed remain with us through stories, offerings, and the happiness of reunion, even if only for one night.
The celebration also connects to ancient beliefs shared across Europe and Mesoamerica, that on certain days, the souls of the dead can return among the living. Both Celtic and Mesoamerican peoples lit candles and left food to guide and greet them, a practice that survived despite the Church’s resistance. That’s why light, fragrance, and color remain essential: they represent welcome and reunion between worlds. Each region of Mexico celebrates in its own way: in Mixquic, graves glow with thousands of candles during La Alumbrada; in Oaxaca, the Muerteadas mix dance, music, and humor; in San Luis Potosí, Xantolo fills the air with chants and incense; and on the island of Janitzio in Michoacán, candle-lit canoes glide across the lake as offerings of light. Everywhere, the solemn and the joyful coexist, remembering the dead means celebrating life.
Today, Day Of The Dead blends the religious, the familial, and the communal. Altares, flores de cempasúchil, papel picado, and Pan de Muerto express love and continuity, making the connection between the living and the departed tangible. Declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, this tradition has become a symbol of Mexican identity and cultural resilience, a celebration that crosses borders and, with color and joy, reaffirms the Mexican way of understanding death as a vital part of life.
Día de Muertos is neither purely pre-Hispanic nor entirely European; it’s a mestizo tradition, the result of centuries of cultural blending between Catholic rituals and Indigenous memory. It maintains its spiritual roots, prayers, masses, and offerings, while embracing popular expressions of remembrance. Its altars, foods, and flowers form a shared language of connection and love. At its most valid, Día de Muertos is a living ceremony of memory, community, and affection. One that transcends generations and continues to make life and death dance together.