{"id":5930,"date":"2026-09-10T11:49:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T23:49:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/?p=5930"},"modified":"2026-09-10T13:51:02","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T01:51:02","slug":"all-about-mexicos-day-of-the-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/all-about-mexicos-day-of-the-dead\/","title":{"rendered":"All About Mexico&#8217;s Day of the Dead"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/shutterstock_2643999561.jpg\" alt=\"Colourful skulls representing the casadas of Mexico's Day of the Dead\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"Colourful skulls representing the casadas of Mexico's Day of the Dead\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/shutterstock_2643999561.jpg\" class=\" lazyload\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The skull imagery associated with the Day of the Dead has appeared in Mesoamerican art for centuries as a symbol of resurrection.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos) is, at its core, a celebration of the cycle of life and death and a reminder that life is fleeting. It is also a time when families honour and remember their deceased loved ones. Celebrated on the 1<sup>st<\/sup> and 2<sup>nd<\/sup> of November, outside of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/mexico\">Mexico<\/a> it has become somewhat associated with Halloween, but it\u2019s a completely different vibe \u2013 not scary but joyful, welcoming the spirits of the deceased back into the family home to remind them that they are loved, respected and remembered.<br><br>With complex, ancient roots, Dia de Muertos is the quintessential Mexican festival, revolving around family, food and music. Recognised by <a href=\"https:\/\/ich.unesco.org\/en\/RL\/indigenous-festivity-dedicated-to-the-dead-00054\">UNESCO for its cultural significance<\/a>, to experience it is to dive headlong into rich, heartfelt and wholly authentic Mexican culture.<br><br>Unique, unforgettable and genuine, read on to find out all about Mexico\u2019s Day of the Dead\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The history behind the Day of the Dead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/shutterstock_2510367253.jpg\" alt=\"Person wearing colourful Day of the Dead costume with skull mask and red hat during a festive parade, surrounded by people and marigold flowers.\" class=\"wp-image-11868\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"Person wearing colourful Day of the Dead costume with skull mask and red hat during a festive parade, surrounded by people and marigold flowers.\" class=\"wp-image-11868 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/shutterstock_2510367253.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">La Catrina has become an iconic symbol of the Day of the Dead festivities, with many people dressing up as her, and even her own parades.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The origins of the Day of the Dead come from the ancient beliefs of the Toltec and Aztec people who lived in south and central Mexico long before the Spanish arrived. They worshipped multiple deities, including Mict\u0113cacihu\u0101tl \u2013 goddess of death and ruler of the underworld Chicunamictlan. After death, the deceased would travel to Chicunamictlan and the living would leave offerings on alters to help the dead on this journey. The Toltec and Aztecs also believed that once a year, the spirits of the dead were able to return to their communities.<br><br>When the Conquistadors arrived in the 1500s, they bought Christianity and Catholicism with them and supressed the indigenous beliefs like those above. But when Mexico gained independence in 1821, they were bought back with gusto and over time were integrated into the belief system left by the Spanish. Where the indigenous celebration of the dead was once in the summer, it became combined with All Saints\u2019 and All Souls\u2019 days (1<sup>st<\/sup> and 2<sup>nd<\/sup> November), both days of feasting and remembrance, to become the Dia de Muertos that is celebrated today. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>In the early 20<sup>th<\/sup> century, the iconic figure of La Catrina found her way into Day of the Dead lore. A high society lady with a skeleton face, feather boa and Victorian era clothing, she appeared in a satirical cartoon by Jose Guadalupe Posada in 1910, an embodiment of the reality that death spares no one, rich and poor alike. Once she became part of one of Diego Rivera\u2019s huge murals, her place in history was cemented \u2013 many people dress as her today, and she has her own parade in cities like Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How is the Day of the Dead celebrated?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/shutterstock_1850533381.jpg\" alt=\"A colourful D\u00eda de Muertos altar with candles, marigold flowers, sugar skulls, food offerings, and a picture of the Virgin Mary honouring loved ones.\" class=\"wp-image-11870\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"A colourful D\u00eda de Muertos altar with candles, marigold flowers, sugar skulls, food offerings, and a picture of the Virgin Mary honouring loved ones.\" class=\"wp-image-11870 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/shutterstock_1850533381.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alters to ancestors appear in family homes, on the streets and in cemeteries and features favourite food and drink, and favourite belongings of the deceased to welcome them back from the land of the dead.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each region of Mexico celebrates the Day of the Dead in their own ways, but there are common themes across the country, with the main days of festivities being 1<sup>st<\/sup> and 2<sup>nd<\/sup> of November. The 1<sup>st<\/sup> November is the Dia de los Angelitos\/ Dia de los Inocentes, reserved for honouring dead children, and 2<sup>nd<\/sup> November is the Dia de los Muertos, when adults are remembered.<br><br>The Day of the Dead is first and foremost an intimate family occasion, so most families will set up a candlelit alter in their homes with ofrendas (offerings) to help guide the spirits back from the land of the dead. Whether simple or multi-layered, all alters have the same elements \u2013 photos of the deceased and items loved by the deceased, perhaps cookies and toys for children, or favourite foods and trinkets for adults. There may also be flowers (marigolds are the iconic flower and have been since ancient times, their colour and fragrance thought to lead spirits back home) crucifixes and colourful images of saints.<br><br>Families will also visit the cemetery, perhaps bringing a picnic or throwing a party; while there they will clean and decorate the grave(s) of their loved ones, sing songs and talk to the departed. Musicians will also tour the graveyards, pausing at individual plots to play the favourite music of the occupant.<br><br>The big parades with huge papier-mache sculptures of fantastical creatures \u2013 called alebrijes \u2013 and performers dressed as La Catrinas and calacas (skeletons) are a more recent addition to the festivities but are becoming increasingly popular, with parades, cemetery processions and street food popping up annually across the country.<br><br>It wouldn\u2019t be a Mexican party without amazing food, and Day of the Dead is no exception. There are many regional variations, but you\u2019ll find pan de muerto features universally. A cakey, egg-based bread, each pan is round, sprinkled with sugar and bone-shaped decorations, representing the cycle of life and death. Bakeries begin to prepare this \u2018bread of the dead\u2019 several days before the celebration so that families can buy it to place on their alters or to enjoy with tea or coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/shutterstock_1188489121.jpg\" alt=\"Candlelit Day of the Dead altar in a cemetery, decorated with marigolds, embroidered cloths, and offerings honouring loved ones at night.\" class=\"wp-image-11869\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"Candlelit Day of the Dead altar in a cemetery, decorated with marigolds, embroidered cloths, and offerings honouring loved ones at night.\" class=\"wp-image-11869 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/shutterstock_1188489121.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Families and communities gather in cemeteries to clean and decorate the graves of their loved ones, to light candles, leave offerings and sing songs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where is the best place to join the festivities?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wherever you are in Mexico during the Day of the Dead, you will be able to experience the traditional aspects of the holiday \u2013 the decorated graves in cemeteries, alters with ofrendas, marigolds and skull imagery. Don\u2019t miss the markets that spring up selling sweet, skull-shaped treats and colourful items for alters and home decorations, for some fascinating browsing.<br><br>For those looking for a bigger experience, Mexico City is the place to be. On the night of 2<sup>nd<\/sup> November, grab a bag of sugar skulls and join the crowds gathered to watch colourful, elaborate floats, performers on stilts, dancing La Catrinas, marching bands, fantastical costumes and enormous puppets of famous figures from Mexico\u2019s history passing along the Avenida Reforma \u2013 there is nothing quite like it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/shutterstock_1196038171.jpg\" alt=\"People dressed in colorful traditional outfits and skull face paint celebrate Day of the Dead, holding fans and flowers during a lively outdoor parade.\" class=\"wp-image-11871\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"People dressed in colorful traditional outfits and skull face paint celebrate Day of the Dead, holding fans and flowers during a lively outdoor parade.\" class=\"wp-image-11871 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/shutterstock_1196038171.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Parades full of &#8216;calacas&#8217; (skeletons) are becoming increasingly popular across Mexico to celebrate the Day of the Dead. Mexico City&#8217;s parade is the biggest, loudest and most colourful.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wendy Wu Tours\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/mexico\/tours\/grand-impressions-of-mexico.htm\">Grand Impressions of Mexico<\/a> tour is a comprehensive tour of Mexico, exploring its cities, ancient sites, indigenous culture, authentic Mexican traditions, extraordinary nature and delicious gastronomy. The October departures in 2026 and 2027 feature a special \u2018Day of the Dead\u2019 itinerary, where you\u2019ll be able to experience the festivities for yourself, including Mexico City\u2019s huge parade and more intimate traditions too.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos) is, at its core, a celebration of the cycle of life and death and a reminder that life is fleeting. It is also a time when families honour and remember their deceased loved ones. Celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of November, outside of Mexico it has [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":5938,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[157],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recent"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/shutterstock_2643999561.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5930"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5930\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5939,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5930\/revisions\/5939"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}