The illustration depicted a skeleton dressed in fashionable attire to mock the upper class of that time. One of the most iconic Day of the Dead symbols, La Calavera Catrina, an elegant skull, was created by Satirical cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada in 1910. Opting into these optional practices is a way to pay homage to the cultural significance of the holiday. The sugar symbolizes the sweetness of life.Ĭolorful altars, dressing in traditional Mexican formal wear, sugar skull face painting or masks are some of the most distinguishable displays of reverence for the Día de los Muertos traditions. Sugar skulls also known as calaveritas de azúcar represent those who will be receiving offerings.Day of the Dead happens to coincide with the time period Monarch butterflies arrive in Mexico for the winter. Monarch butterflies have been said to hold the spirits of those who have departed.The flower, known for its vibrant yellow or orange color and scent is used to carve a path for spirits from the cemetery to the home of their families. Family or members usually decorate the altar or grave with Marigolds, or the Cempasúchil flower.Typical Day of the Dead symbols include flowers, butterflies and skulls.The wind is represented by papel picado, colorful tissue paper cut into intricate shapes, and fire is symbolized by candles that are usually lit in the form of a cross to represent the cardinal directions, so a spirit doesn’t lose its way. Food like sweet breads or the person’s favorite meal or snack represents earth. Usually, water is left in a pitcher so the spirit or spirits can quench their thirst. At least four of the items included in the ofrenda will have a tie to one of the four elements.Displays can vary based on a number of factors like regional traditions, family and individual wealth, recent deaths, or the year’s harvest.Loved ones of the deceased will assemble a display at home or at a gravesite decorated with personal effects like jewelry or photographs as well as provisions in the form of food or beverage that the person may have enjoyed while they were alive to nourish them during their visit. A make-shift altar, or ofrenda is an integral component of the Day of the Dead celebration.Just like agriculture, crops can grow again on the bed of the crops that have already bloomed. Death is as much a part of the journey as life is, according to beliefs held by Mesoamerican civilizations.

Life, like all journeys, must come to an end eventually. You can’t celebrate death without celebrating life.Any number of months could be dedicated to remember a person who had recently departed, depending on whether they were a child or an adult. Over the last 3,000 years, Indigenous civilizations from Mexico and northern Central America like the Olmecs and subsequent Toltecs, Mixtecs, Zapotecs, Maya, and Aztec people designated specific times to recognize their family, friends, or neighbors that passed on. The tradition of honoring the dead can take place over more than a couple of days.Nor can the holiday known for commemorating the life of loved ones who have since passed be considered a “ Mexican Halloween” despite the similar themes present in each holiday. Day of the Dead and Halloween aren’t related.

Dia de los muertos skull flowers