If I showed you a photo of the iconic Calavera Catrina – a skeletal woman decked out in black and white garb (think big bustle skirts, even larger hat, and all adorned with flowers and feathers) atop a equally intricately decorated horse at Mexico City’s Dia de los Muertos parade, you’d think this was something years in the making. Technically, in 2024, it is – but the fact is that this specific parade was created in response to the 2016 Bond film Spectre. Now recruiting over a thousand volunteers and lasting four hours, the parade was spurred by the Mexican government to capitalise on the tourism produced by the movie.

While this is an interesting bit, Dia de los Muertos itself is thousands of years old – having roots in the traditions of Aztec traditions, eventually combining with All Souls’ Day which was brought along by Spanish invaders in the early 1500s.

As your resident death and dying enthusiast (in like, a cool special interest way, not a serial killer way), here is just a bit about the gloriously colourful Dia de los Muertos:

What is it?

In short, Dia de los Muertos (translated as Day of the Dead) is a two day festival celebrated across the 1^st and 2^nd of November which celebrates and commemorates the dead. Families will typically clean graves and set up ofrendas for the deceased.

What is an ofrenda?

An ofrenda is an altar, decked out in gifts and memorabilia to entice the dead back home. These can be at home, in public spaces, or next to graves.

Ofrendas can be decorated with a whole host of objects, based on what is important to both the deceased and their families, but can include:

• Mexican marigolds, which are thought to guide the souls to their family home due to their strong smell
• Pan de muerto (bread of the dead) – a sweet bun similar to brioche, often decorated with symbols of death like skulls or crossbones
• Sugar skulls – which serve as memento mori, but may also be savoured by the dead. They can have the name of the dead on their foreheads.
• Blankets and pillows – so that the dead may rest after their long journey

Is it only in Mexico?

Dia de los Muertos is celebrated around the world, all with subtle variations on Mexican traditions. A personal favourite is that of Old Town San Diego, California – a two day festival which cumulates in a crowd of candlelight processing at sunset from San Diego Avenue to El Campo Santo cemetery. It draws over five thousand people every year, offers keen guidelines on being respectful of others, and even offers a community ofrenda!