I adopted this as a personal holiday ever since I saw the movie “Coco”.
October 31 – November 2
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is one of Mexico’s most meaningful cultural traditions. Rather than mourning death as an ending, the holiday celebrates the enduring connection between the living and those who have passed away.
Its central message is beautiful: Love does not end with death, and those we remember remain part of our lives.
The celebration combines Indigenous Mexican traditions of honoring ancestors with Catholic observances of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
The three days of remembrance
October 31 – The Beginning of the Celebration
Families prepare their homes, decorate altars, and welcome the season of remembrance. In some regional traditions, the spirits of children are believed to begin returning during the night.
November 1 – Día de los Angelitos
The Day of the Little Angels honors children who have died. Families may place toys, sweets, photographs, and favorite foods on altars to welcome their spirits. November 1 also coincides with All Saints’ Day.
November 2 – Día de los Muertos
The principal day of remembrance for deceased adults, coinciding with All Souls’ Day. Families gather at cemeteries and homes, sharing stories, music, food, and memories of loved ones.
The symbolism behind the celebration
Every detail has meaning, from the flowers and candles to the elaborate costumes.
Marigolds (Cempasúchil)
Their vivid orange color and fragrance are traditionally believed to guide spirits home.
Sugar Skulls (Calaveras)
Colorful representations of mortality that celebrate individuality and remind us that death is part of life.
Papel Picado
Intricate paper banners symbolize the fragility of life and are often associated with the element of air.
Candles and Photographs
Candles illuminate the way, while photographs honor specific people and preserve their place in family memory.
Why people dress as skeletons
The beautifully painted faces in your couple’s illustration reflect the tradition of La Catrina, the elegantly dressed skeleton popularized by Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada and later depicted by Diego Rivera.
Skeleton imagery carries a philosophical message: regardless of wealth, status, or appearance, death is the great equalizer.
Yet the imagery is not intended to be frightening. Elaborate clothing, flowers, music, and painted faces transform a potentially somber subject into a celebration of humanity.
The significance of my couple’s portrait
My original photograph captures a couple dressed elegantly for a special occasion. This is my mother and father photographed at my wedding in 1984. Transforming them into Día de los Muertos figures creates another layer of meaning.
Their formal clothing becomes festive ceremonial attire. The flowers represent affection and remembrance. The candles suggest the persistence of memory, while their closeness symbolizes a bond that extends beyond the passage of time.
Importantly, Día de los Muertos imagery is not reserved for people who have died. Living people also dress as Catrinas and Catrines to participate in the celebration and reflect on life’s impermanence.
The deeper philosophy is not that we should dwell on death, but that awareness of mortality should encourage us to celebrate life.
This is what makes the holiday so compelling artistically: it combines beauty, mortality, memory, cultural heritage, and love into a single visual language.
And perhaps its most moving lesson is that a person’s life continues to have meaning through the stories we tell, the photographs we preserve, and the love we carry forward.
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