Dia de💀los Muertos
El DÃa de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)… a Mexican holiday in which is celebrated and honors loved ones who have passed away. The main days observed are on November 1st and 2nd. It coincides with the Catholic observances of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Usually the public mourn the diseased, however this holiday tributes a time of joy, remembrance, and connection between the living and the departed.
It seems the holiday encompasses Indigenous roots—usually from Aztec, Maya, and other pre-Columbian cultures. From researching this, when the Spanish colonizers arrived, these traditions merged with Catholic beliefs, thus creating the modern DÃa de los Muertos. The basic idea is that the spirits of the dead return to visit their families during this time.
Families would build altars in their homes or cemeteries to welcome the spirits. These are decorated with—Photos of the deceased, candles, Marigolds (cempasúchil: the traditional flower of the dead), food/drinks their loved ones enjoyed in life (like pan de muerto or tequila) and sugar skulls representing the energy of life and death’s inevitability. The Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead), is a sweet bread decorated with bone-like shapes and sprinkled with sugar. It symbolizes the cycle of life and death. The Calaveras and Catrinas (more on her below) are decorative skulls and skeletons. They’re often colorful, smiling and is a reminder for people to face death with humor and acceptance. Then we have the cemeteries and celebrations. What families often do is clean and decorate graves, bring offerings, and spend time there singing, eating, and sharing stories about their loved ones.
Again, the cultural and significance of DÃa de los Muertos is not about sadness, but more of a celebration of memory and continuity. The focus is on the belief that death is not the end, but a natural transition.
Regarding ‘La Catrina’… it’s a famous Mexican skeletal figure symbolizing death and is a central image for the DÃa de los Muertos holiday. It was created by artist José Guadalupe Posada around early 1910’s. The image was originally called "La Calavera Catrina" and portrayed a skeleton dressed in an elegant European-style hat and clothing to mock Mexicans who were imitating European high society. The figure represents the idea that death is equal—everyone ends up as a skeleton regardless of their social status, riches, or earthly possessions. It has come to symbolize the willingness to embrace death and even find peace in it. And so La Catrina is a reminder to appreciate life, to remember loved ones who have passed, and to recognize that death is a part of life's cycle.
Here’s a few features to differentiate between the Dia de los Muertos and La Catrina…
Dia de los Muertos
A holiday and tradition celebrated on November 1st and 2nd.
To remember, honor, and celebrate deceased loved ones.
Combines indigenous Aztec traditions with Catholicism.
A celebration of life and a spiritual connection with the dead, instead of a time for mourning.
Altars (ofrendas), marigolds, sugar skulls, food, and decorations.
La Catrina
An iconic character and symbol.
Represent the Mexican attitude toward life and death, displaying that death is a part of life and not an end.
Originally created as a political sarcasm by José Guadalupe Posada to mock the elite class.
Represents the destiny of mortality and the idea that death is an equalizer, regardless of social class.
A skeleton in a fancy dress and hat. Resembles a popular element in the holiday's imagery.