Day of the Dead: Honoring Loved Ones in a Unique Mexican Tradition”

Painted skulls, candelabras, and orange marigolds are all used to decorate altars on the Day of the Dead. The holiday, called Día de los Muertos, is widely celebrated across Latin America to honor the memory of loved ones who have passed away. And no – the day is not a “Halloween for Mexicans” as it’s commonly misinterpreted in North America.

“It’s a celebration, but I wouldn’t say it’s a happy celebration,” said Maria Laura Flores, a PhD student at Western University who moved to London six years ago from Mexico.

In a traditional Mexican household, an ofrenda, or altar with seven steps, will be set up and decorated with pictures of deceased loved ones, skulls, candles, foods, drinks, and marigold flowers. “The celebration is not only visual, but there’s a lot of smells,” said Flores.

Marigold flowers, or cempasuchil, are essential because their strong aroma guides spirits on their journey from their burial place to their family home, she said. Families cook the favorite dishes of the dead relatives as a treat and leave water because the spirits are tired by the end of their journey.

Alba Devo Colis, assistant professor at Western University, said Dia de Muertos is celebrated in unique ways across Mexico too. While in cities it’s common practice to set an ofrenda at home, remote villages tend to decorate the graves of the loved ones instead. “You decorate the tomb of your family or friends, and you spend the whole night there eating, drinking, listening to music, singing, as a way to enjoy the meeting that you [are] having with your relative,” said Colis.

While Día de los Muertos is for honoring those that have passed, Flores said it’s equally important for people to reflect on their own life by keeping death in mind.