What is Day of the Dead? | National Geographic

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration of life and death. While the holiday originated in Mexico, it is celebrated all over Latin America with colorful calaveras (skulls) and calacas (skeletons). Learn how the Day of the Dead started and the traditions that make it unique.

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What is Day of the Dead? | National Geographic

National Geographic

[krishnateja]

My girlfriend is Mexican and I came to know amazing things about Mexico. You guys have amazing culture and people. Long live Mexico.

[theguinealabz]

A beautiful culture of people. I’m not Mexican but I believe that instead of just being sad that someone has died that their life needs to be celebrated, be thankful that they lived. Also, it is still okay to be sad when you lost someone, I’m just saying that you should also be happy that they lived.

[aztecgladiator]

My aunt told me a crazy story that happened to her, when she was a child in dia de Los muertos in Mexico. My grandma and my uncles and aunts went to the cemetery to put more candles and food. My aunt wandered off she was about 7. She saw some delicious food someone had left for their lost one. When she was about to grab it inches away, someone slapped her hand. No one was there. Other ppl were far away. She got chills and ran to my grandma. Not a scary story but something bout Dia de Los Muertos.

[danielesposito]

It gets me teary eyed looking at how beautiful they make the graves with the flowers. Such a sweet holiday. Nothing scary about it.

[gilleyvalizarragadianapaol]

As a proud mexican myself it feels so great to have people from all the world admiring and complimenting our culture in the comments section, I wish more people could see the beauty of our country like you guys do❤️🇲🇽

[imachavel]

Never during any Thanksgiving or Christmas or New Years will I forget my grandparents, especially my last late grandma who passed away this year. Celebrating a holiday without any of them is so sad. I am so glad i had such generous grandparents. Every one of them. Rest in Peace forever Angel, Lorrie, Jim and lastly Miren. If they had but infinite gifts the world would have recieved forever. I am so lucky to have known them.

[bluesclues]

I love being Mexican and I’m soo proud of my Culture viva Mexico 🇲🇽❤️❤️ and our culture!!!!

[Worthsharingvideos]

COCO brought us here :) . A great culture

[isabellarobinson]

Me and my parents are celebrating Dia de los Muertos for the first time today. Since the week was very busy for all of us, we were only able to make a small ofrenda but I'm glad I get to celebrate and find some closer for my family members and pets who have left. Happy Dia de los Muertos to everyone!

[andresmora]

Mexicans 🇲🇽 on the Day of the Dead, we do not worship death 💀 that is a lie, we remember our dead relatives, because, in reality, you die when you are forgotten.

Greetings from Minatitlán, Veracruz 🇲🇽

[sadie]

This seems like such a happy and festive culture, I love it. Makes me feel so happy.

[octaviohernandez]

Correction! The tradition has being celebrated since the Teotihuacan era, which is 1, 500 years before the Spanish arrived to America.

There is evidence of it in the caves around the Teotihuacan Pyramids Arquelogical Site

[massabeelviejo]

It is ONLY a Mexican custom, originated with the Aztecs. Latin America does NOT celebrate the same way.

[blakeesmith]

I love Mexican day of the dead! I celebrate it every year here in Los Angeles by going to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Viva Mexico!!!

[alejandramoreno]

Brought by the Spanish? What are you on about? Mesoamerican cultures believe the dead live in the underworld called Mictlan, which is not a permanent place, therefore, the living welcome them once a year. Dead is seen as part of a cycle, not an end, and it is not tragic by any means. The goddess of Death is also the goddess of fertility, because from death comes life. This celebration goes back thousands of years, and was only made to coincide with the All Saints Day by the Spaniards, it was celebrated in August before the Conquest.

[acatssoftnose]

This holiday makes me wish I lived in Mexico City: how awesome it'd be to look out of my apartment window and see these celebrations :')

[BAMBINOSTTHSOUTHCENTRAL]

I love my culture and my people....VIVA MEXICO!!!

[EmiPlayzMC]

This is such a beautiful holiday. My school is having me write a lesson about a Mexican holiday, and I immediately picked Dia de los Muertos (Or Dia de Muertos!) because it has such a beautiful meaning to it, and I've always loved learning about it.

[fty]

Such an uplifting way of looking at something that society fears and avoids. Love it!

[christiantoming]

im here for Coco “Dia de los Muertos” Mexican’s unique and colorful tradition.