10 characteristics of the "Day of the Dead"

Every time November 1st and 2nd arrives , something different happens in Mexico (and other parts of Latin America). The streets fill with color, sweet smells, and music that doesn't sound sad, but lively. Why? Because death, for a moment, becomes a celebration .

I experienced it for the first time in Oaxaca, a few years ago. And I've never forgotten it. There I understood that the Day of the Dead isn't mourning , it's a reunion . A bridge between those who are here and those who have passed away.

But what makes this celebration so unique, so profound, so... ours? Here are 10 characteristics that define the Day of the Dead . And that, perhaps, also define us.

1. 🕯️ An altar for remembrance

One cannot talk about the Day of the Dead without mentioning the altar or ofrenda . It's the heart of this tradition. Each family sets up their own at home or in the cemetery. And it's not just a decoration: it's an invitation.

On these altars , photographs of the deceased , candles , flowers , food , and objects they loved in life are placed . It's like saying, "We know you're coming back, and we've been waiting for you."

The levels of the altar (two, three, seven...) represent different meanings: heaven, earth and the underworld , or the steps of the soul towards its eternal rest.

2. 🌼 Cempasúchil: the flower that guides

Its color is unmistakable. Its aroma, too. The marigold (or flower of the dead ) takes center stage. It is used to decorate altars, streets, graves, and to form paths that guide souls to the family altar.

They say its intense scent helps the dead stay in their stride. A myth? Perhaps. But the poetry behind that idea is irresistible.

3. 🍞 Bread of the Dead and other returning flavors

The palate also remembers. Bread of the Dead , tamales , mole , pumpkin stew , atole ... The flavors of the Day of the Dead are part of that dialogue between the living and the dead.

The bread, for example, isn't just any bread: its round shape symbolizes the cycle of life, and the lines that cross it represent the bones of the deceased. Yes, everything has a meaning . And everything tastes like memory.

4. 🎭 Skulls everywhere (and not just sugar ones)

Skulls are an essential part of the celebration. They come in sugar, chocolate, clay, papier-mâché, and ceramic . Decorated, cheerful, even cute. They're not scary: they make us laugh at death .

But there's more. There are also the "literary skulls ," short rhyming verses that play with the idea that death comes for everyone. Irony, humor, and social criticism blend into a genre that remains as relevant today as it was in the 19th century.

“Here lies a journalist
who, by sleeping on the news,
was overtaken by the Grim Reaper,
and today writes from the crypt.”

5. 👻 Living belief in the return of the dead

This isn't a symbolic remembrance. For many people, the Day of the Dead is a real moment of connection with their deceased loved ones. "My grandmother is coming tonight," a girl in Mixquic told me, quite matter-of-factly.

And it's not about spiritualism or fear. It's an ancient , profound faith , in which, for a few days, the world of the living and the world of the dead touch .

6. 🎨 An aesthetic that mixes the pre-Hispanic and the Christian

This festival is the result of a fascinating cultural fusion . In pre-Hispanic times, the Mexica already honored their dead. After the arrival of the Spanish, these customs merged with Catholicism : All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

Thus, the indigenous worldview and Christian tradition coexist. And this is evident in everything: in the symbols, the altars, the prayers, the colors.

7. 🎆 Public and community celebration

Although it originates in the home, the Day of the Dead is celebrated in a community . There are parades, altar competitions, skull exhibitions, theatrical performances, and concerts.

And there are also visits to cemeteries. But they aren't silent visits: there's eating, singing, and storytelling . The graves are decorated and illuminated. It's a celebration, yes, but with respect .

8. 📷 A tradition that reinvents itself

Despite its ancestral roots, this celebration isn't frozen in time . Each year, new generations add their own twist. Social media, for example, has allowed the offerings to travel in photos around the world.

Films like Coco (2017) have also helped make this tradition known and appreciated outside of Mexico. Touristification? Maybe. But it's also an opportunity to reclaim what's ours .

9. 🎶 Music, dance and masks: death is danced

In many regions, death isn't mourned; it's danced about . Carnival troupes fill the streets with rhythm. Costumes blend the macabre with the festive. People sing to the dead, because they aren't gone ; they just walk on another level.

And in that collective dance, something magical happens: fear dissolves . We give ourselves permission to look death in the face. To laugh with it. To understand it, perhaps, in a different way.

10. 🧠 A philosophy of life (and death)

Behind every lit candle, every sugar skull, lies a powerful idea: death is not the end . It's part of the journey. And remembering those who have passed away is keeping them alive .

This vision isn't exclusive to Mexico, of course, but it takes on a unique force here. Celebrating death as a part of life speaks to us of ancient wisdom. Of a different way of being in the world.

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