Culture / day-of-the-dead
Facts about Day of the Dead
- 05
Pan de muerto, a sweet bread decorated with bone-shaped dough, is a traditional food prepared and placed on altars during Day of the Dead celebrations.
- 04
The marigold, known in Mexico as cempasúchil, is considered the flower of the dead and is believed to guide spirits back to the living world during Day of the Dead.
- 03
UNESCO inscribed Day of the Dead on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.
- 02
Ofrendas, the altars built during Day of the Dead, traditionally include marigold flowers, food, photographs, and personal belongings of the deceased.
- 01
Celebrated in Mexico on November 1 and 2, Day of the Dead blends indigenous Aztec traditions with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.