Editing Day of the Dead (section)

==Observance in Mexico==

=== Altars and installations in Mexico City museums and public spaces ===
A number of Mexico City's museums and public spaces have played an important part in developing and promoting urban Day of the Dead traditions through altars and installations. These notable organizations include: Anahuacalli, The Frida Kahlo Museum, The Museum of Popular Cultures, The Dolores Olmedo Museum, The Museum of the First Printing Press, and The Cloister of Sor Juana. From turn of the millennium until the imposition of the James Bond-inspired parade, remarkable large-scale installations were created on the Zocalo, Mexico City's central square.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cordova |first=Ruben C. |date=November 2, 2019 |title=A Guide to Day of the Dead in Mexico City |work=Glasstire |url=https://glasstire.com/2019/11/02/a-guide-to-day-of-the-dead-in-mexico-city/ |access-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313155248/https://glasstire.com/2019/11/02/a-guide-to-day-of-the-dead-in-mexico-city/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Altars ({{lang|es|ofrendas}}) ===
During Día de Muertos, the tradition is to build private altars ("ofrendas") containing the favorite foods and beverages, as well as photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so the souls will hear the prayers and the words of the living directed to them. These altars are often placed at home or in public spaces such as schools and libraries, but it is also common for people to go to cemeteries to place these altars next to the tombs of the departed.<ref name="MexConnect"/>

{{Multiple image
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| caption1          = Mexican [[Tagetes erecta|cempasúchil]] (marigold) is the traditional flower used to honor the dead.
| caption2          = Cempasúchil, [[alfeñique]]s and [[papel picado]] used to decorate an altar
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Plans for the day are made throughout the year, including gathering the goods to be offered to the dead. During the three-day period families usually clean and decorate graves;<ref name="Salvador">{{cite book  | last = Salvador | first = R.J. | editor = John D. Morgan and Pittu Laungani | title = Death and Bereavement Around the World: Death and Bereavement in the Americas | series = Death, Value and Meaning Series, Vol. II | year = 2003 | publisher = Baywood Publishing Company | location = Amityville, New York | isbn = 978-0-89503-232-4 | pages = 75–76}}</ref> most visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with {{lang|es|[[ofrenda (ritual offering)|ofrendas]]}} (altars), which often include orange Mexican marigolds (''[[Tagetes erecta]]'') called {{lang|es|cempasúchil}} (originally named {{lang|nci|cempōhualxōchitl}}, [[Nahuatl language|Nāhuatl]] for 'twenty flowers'). In modern Mexico the marigold is sometimes called {{lang|es|Flor de Muerto}} ('Flower of Dead'). These flowers are thought to attract [[Soul (spirit)|souls]] of the dead to the offerings. It is also believed the bright petals with a strong scent can guide the souls from cemeteries to their family homes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://insider.si.edu/2016/10/5-facts-dia-de-los-muertos-day-dead/|title=5 Facts About Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead)|publisher=Smithsonian Insider|date=30 October 2016|access-date=August 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829175320/https://insider.si.edu/2016/10/5-facts-dia-de-los-muertos-day-dead/|archive-date=August 29, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Brandes|first=Stanley|date=1997|title=Sugar, Colonialism, and Death: On the Origins of Mexico's Day of the Dead|journal=Comparative Studies in Society and History|volume=39|issue=2|pages=275|doi=10.1017/S0010417500020624|issn=0010-4175|jstor=179316|s2cid=145402658}}</ref> The common name in English, marigold, is derived from ''Mary's gold'', a name first applied to a similar plant native to Europe, ''[[Calendula officinalis]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/putnamco/2023/10/26/marigolds-blooms-of-cultural-significance/ |title=Marigolds: Blooms of Cultural Significance |author=Julio Perez |date=October 26, 2023 |website=[[Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences]], [[University of Florida]] |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109070139/https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/putnamco/2023/10/26/marigolds-blooms-of-cultural-significance/ |archive-date=November 9, 2023  |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>
{{Cite web |url=https://gardening.usask.ca/articles-and-lists/articles-plant-descriptions/annuals/marigold.php |title=Marigold - Tagetes sp. |date=May 2, 2021 |website=[[University of Saskatchewan]] - College of Agriculture and Bioresources |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109071240/https://gardening.usask.ca/articles-and-lists/articles-plant-descriptions/annuals/marigold.php |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://udayton.edu/imri/mary/m/marigolds-marys-gold.php |title=Marigolds: Mary's Gold |author=Brother John M. Samaha, S.M. |website=[[University of Dayton]] |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419130406/https://udayton.edu/imri/mary/m/marigolds-marys-gold.php |archive-date=April 19, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Toys are brought for dead children ({{lang|es|los angelitos}}, or 'the little angels'), and bottles of [[tequila]], [[mezcal]] or [[pulque]] or jars of {{lang|es|[[atole]]}} for adults. Families will also offer trinkets or the deceased's favorite candies on the grave. Some families have {{lang|es|ofrendas}} in homes, usually with foods such as candied pumpkin, {{lang|es|[[pan de muerto]]}} ('bread of dead'), and [[sugar skull]]s; and beverages such as {{lang|es|atole}}. The {{lang|es|ofrendas}} are left out in the homes as a welcoming gesture for the deceased.<ref name="Salvador" /><ref name=":0" /> Some people believe the spirits of the dead eat the "spiritual essence" of the {{lang|es|ofrendas}}' food, so though the celebrators eat the food after the festivities, they believe it lacks nutritional value. Pillows and blankets are left out so the deceased can rest after their long journey. In some parts of Mexico, such as the towns of [[San Andrés Mixquic|Mixquic]], [[Pátzcuaro]] and [[Janitzio]], people spend all night beside the graves of their relatives. In many places, people have picnics at the grave site, as well.

[[File:CemetarioAlmoloyaRio1995.jpg|thumb|Families tidying and decorating graves at a cemetery in [[Almoloya del Río]] in the [[State of Mexico]], 1995]]
Some families build [[altar]]s or small [[shrine]]s in their homes;<ref name="Salvador" /> these sometimes feature a [[Christian cross]], statues or pictures of the [[Blessed Virgin Mary]], pictures of deceased relatives and other people, scores of candles, and an {{lang|es|ofrenda}}. Traditionally, families spend some time around the altar, praying and telling anecdotes about the deceased. In some locations, celebrants wear shells on their clothing, so when they dance, the noise will wake up the dead; some will also dress up as the deceased.

==== Food ====
During Day of the Dead festivities, food is both eaten by living people and given to the spirits of their departed ancestors as {{lang|es|ofrendas}} ('offerings').<ref name="history.com">{{cite web |last=Turim |first=Gayle |title=Day of the Dead Sweets and Treats |url=http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/day-of-the-dead-sweets-and-treats |url-status=live |work=History Stories |publisher=[[History (U.S. TV network)|History Channel]] |date=November 2, 2012 |access-date=July 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150606104432/http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/day-of-the-dead-sweets-and-treats |archive-date=June 6, 2015 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> {{lang|es|[[Tamales]]}} are one of the most common dishes prepared for this day for both purposes.<ref name="NPR">{{cite news |last=Godoy |first=Maria |title=Sugar Skulls, Tamales And More: Why Is That Food On The Day Of The Dead Altar? |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/11/01/500242132/sugar-skulls-tamales-and-more-why-is-that-food-on-the-day-of-the-dead-altar |url-status=live |publisher=NPR |date=November 2016 |access-date=October 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028043035/http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/11/01/500242132/sugar-skulls-tamales-and-more-why-is-that-food-on-the-day-of-the-dead-altar |archive-date=October 28, 2017 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

[[File:Oaxaca Mexico- personal family shrine for Day of the Dead.jpg|thumb|Family altar for the Day of the Dead on a patio]]

{{lang|es|[[Pan de muerto]]}} and {{lang|es|[[calavera]]s}} are associated specifically with Day of the Dead. {{lang|es|Pan de muerto}} is a type of sweet roll shaped like a bun, topped with sugar, and often decorated with bone-shaped pieces of the same pastry.<ref>{{cite news|last=Castella|first=Krystina|title=Pan de Muerto Recipe|url=http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pan-de-muerto-361449|access-date=November 2, 2019|publisher=[[Epicurious]]|date=October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708165548/http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pan-de-muerto-361449|archive-date=July 8, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> {{lang|es|Calaveras}}, or sugar skulls, display colorful designs to represent the vitality and individual personality of the departed.<ref name="NPR" />

In addition to food, drinks are also important to the tradition of Day of the Dead. Historically, the main alcoholic drink was [[pulque]]; today families will commonly drink the favorite beverage of their deceased ancestors.<ref name="NPR" /> Other drinks associated with the holiday are {{lang|es|[[atole]]}} and {{lang|es|[[champurrado]]}}, warm, thick, non-alcoholic [[masa]] drinks.

{{lang|es|Agua de Jamaica}} (water of [[Hibiscus tea|hibiscus]]) is a popular herbal tea made of the flowers and leaves of the Jamaican hibiscus plant (''[[Hibiscus sabdariffa]]''), known as {{lang|es|flor de Jamaica}} in Mexico. It is served cold and quite sweet with a lot of ice. The ruby-red beverage is also known as [[hibiscus tea]] in English-speaking countries.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jamaica iced tea|url=http://cookinginmexico.com/2011/09/28/jamaica-iced-tea/|publisher=Cooking in Mexico|access-date=October 23, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104072645/http://cookinginmexico.com/2011/09/28/jamaica-iced-tea/|archive-date=November 4, 2011}}</ref>

In the [[Yucatán Peninsula]], [[mukbil pollo]] ([[píib]] chicken) is traditionally prepared on October 31 or November 1, and eaten by the family throughout the following days. It is similar to a big tamale, composed of masa and pork lard, and stuffed with pork, chicken, tomato, garlic, peppers, onions, [[epazote]], [[achiote]], and spices. Once stuffed, the mukbil pollo is bathed in [[kool sauce]], made with meat broth, habanero chili, and corn masa. It is then covered in banana leaves and steamed in an underground oven over the course of several hours. Once cooked, it is dug up and opened to eat.<ref>{{cite book|title=Cocina esencial de México|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=esmLDwAAQBAJ|last=Kennedy|first=D.|publisher=Fondo de Cultura Económica|page=156|year=2018|access-date=2021-06-01|isbn=9786071656636|archive-date=November 3, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103135408/https://books.google.com/books?id=esmLDwAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Muñoz Zurita |first=Ricardo |chapter=Muc bil pollo |title=Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana |trans-title=Encyclopedic dictionary of Mexican Gastronomy |url=https://laroussecocina.mx/ |publisher=Larousse Cocina |language=es |access-date=November 2, 2021 |archive-date=November 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102203801/https://laroussecocina.mx/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== ''Calaveras'' ===
A common [[symbol]] of the holiday is the skull (in Spanish {{lang|es|[[calavera]]}}), which celebrants represent in [[mask]]s, called {{lang|es|[[calaca]]s}} (colloquial term for skeleton), and foods such as [[chocolate]] or sugar skulls, which are inscribed with the name of the recipient on the forehead. Sugar skulls can be given as gifts to both the living and the dead.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Day of the Dead in the USA : The Migration and Transformation of a Cultural Phenomenon|last=Marchi|first=Regina M|publisher=Rutgers University Press|year=2009|isbn=978-0-8135-4557-8|location=New Brunswick|pages=17}}</ref> Other holiday foods include {{lang|es|pan de muerto}}, a sweet [[egg (food)|egg]] bread made in various shapes from plain rounds to skulls, often decorated with white frosting to look like twisted bones.<ref name=":0" />

=== {{lang|es|nocat=true|Calaverita}} ===
In some parts of the country, especially the larger cities, children in costumes roam the streets, knocking on people's doors for a {{lang|es|calaverita}}, a small gift of candies or money; they also ask passersby for it. This custom is similar to that of [[Halloween]]'s [[trick-or-treating]] in the United States, but without the component of mischief to homeowners if no treat is given.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mexperience.com/mi-calaverita-mexicos-trick-or-treat/#:~:text=On%20the%20night%20of%20November,hollowed%2Dout%20and%20glowing%20pumpkins.|title=Mi Calaverita: Mexico's Trick or Treat|date=October 31, 2020|website=Mexperience|access-date=September 29, 2021|archive-date=September 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929063145/https://www.mexperience.com/mi-calaverita-mexicos-trick-or-treat/#:~:text=On%20the%20night%20of%20November,hollowed%2Dout%20and%20glowing%20pumpkins.|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== {{lang|es|nocat=true|Calaveras literarias}} ===
A distinctive literary form exists within this holiday where people write short [[poem]]s in traditional rhyming [[Verse (poetry)|verse]], called {{lang|es|[[Literary Calavera|calaveras literarias]]}} ({{lit|literary skulls}}), which are mocking, light-hearted [[epitaph]]s mostly dedicated to friends, classmates, co-workers, or family members (living or dead) but also to public or historical figures, describing interesting habits and attitudes, as well as comedic or absurd anecdotes that use death-related imagery which includes but is not limited to cemeteries, skulls, or the [[grim reaper]], all of this in situations where the dedicatee has an encounter with death itself.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/poetry/these-wicked-day-of-the-dead-poems-dont-spare-anyone|title=These wicked Day of the Dead poems don't spare anyone|date=2018-11-02|website=PBS NewsHour|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-06|archive-date=May 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506162713/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/poetry/these-wicked-day-of-the-dead-poems-dont-spare-anyone|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Cordova, Ruben C. (2005). "Calaveras". In Ilan Stavans, ed. in chief, and Harold Augenbraum, assoc. ed., ''Encyclopedia Latina: History, Culture, and Society in the United States.'' Danbury, CT: Grolier Academic Reference, 4 vols.: I: 248 – 249.</ref> This custom originated in the 18th or 19th century after a [[newspaper]] published a poem narrating a dream of a cemetery in the future which included the words "and all of us were dead", and then proceeding to read the tombstones. Current newspapers dedicate {{lang|es|calaveras literarias}} to public figures, with [[cartoon]]s of [[skeleton]]s in the style of the famous {{lang|es|[[calavera]]s}} of [[José Guadalupe Posada]], a Mexican illustrator.<ref name=":1" /> In modern Mexico, {{lang|es|calaveras literarias}} are a staple of the holiday in many institutions and organizations, for example, in public schools, students are encouraged or required to write them as part of the language class.<ref name="Chávez"/>

[[File:Posada2.Catrina.jpeg|thumbnail|right|José Guadalupe Posada's depiction of La Calavera Catrina, shown wearing a then-fashionable [[1900s in Western fashion|early 20th-century hat]].<ref name=":2">{{cite news |last=Cordova |first=Ruben C. |date=November 2, 2019 |title=José Guadalupe Posada and Diego Rivera Fashion Catrina: From Sellout To National Icon (and Back Again?) |work=Glasstire |url=https://glasstire.com/2019/11/02/jose-guadalupe-posada-and-diego-rivera-fashion-catrina-from-sellout-to-national-icon-and-back-again/ |access-date=March 12, 2023 |archive-date=March 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230312015330/https://glasstire.com/2019/11/02/jose-guadalupe-posada-and-diego-rivera-fashion-catrina-from-sellout-to-national-icon-and-back-again/ |url-status=live }}</ref>]]


Posada's most famous print, {{lang|es|[[La Calavera Catrina]]}} ("The Elegant Skull"), was likely intended as a criticism of Mexican upper-class women who imitated European fashions. It was first published posthumously in a broadside with a text (not by Posada) that mocked working-class vendors of [[chickpea]]s.<ref name=":2" />

Posada's image of a skeletal figure with a big hat decorated with two ostrich feathers and flowers was elaborated into a full scale figure by [[Mexican muralism|Mexican Muralist]] [[Diego Rivera]] in a [[fresco]] painted in 1946–47. Rivera's Catrina has a simple [[Tehuantepec|Tehuana]] dress and a feather boa, as well as other features that make allusions to the indigenous peoples of Mexico. Through the addition of these indigenous features, Rivera rehabilitated Catrina into a nationalist emblem.<ref name=":2" />

The Catrina character has become deeply associated with the Day of the Dead. Catrina figures made of a wide range of materials, as well as people with Catrina costumes, have come to play a prominent role in modern Day of the Dead observances in Mexico and elsewhere. The Catrina phenomenon has in fact gone beyond Day of the Dead, resulting in non-seasonal and even permanent "Catrinas", including COVID-19 masks, tattoos, permanently decorated cars, and Catrina-themed artworks.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Cordova |first=Ruben C. |date=November 2, 2020 |title=Catrina Mania! |work=Glasstire |url=https://glasstire.com/2020/11/02/catrina-mania/ |access-date=March 12, 2023 |archive-date=March 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230312015332/https://glasstire.com/2020/11/02/catrina-mania/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Cordova |first=Ruben C. |date=November 1, 2021 |title=Catrina Mania III |work=Glasstire |url=https://glasstire.com/2021/11/01/catrina-mania-iii/ |access-date=March 12, 2023 |archive-date=March 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230312015333/https://glasstire.com/2021/11/01/catrina-mania-iii/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Some artists have even developed a sub-specialization in Catrina imagery.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cordova |first=Ruben C. |date=October 30, 2022 |title=Catrina Mania IV: Brandon Maldonado's Catrinas |work=Glasstire |url=https://glasstire.com/2022/10/30/catrina-mania-iv-brandon-maldonados-catrinas/ |access-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313153031/https://glasstire.com/2022/10/30/catrina-mania-iv-brandon-maldonados-catrinas/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Theatrical]] presentations of ''[[Don Juan Tenorio]]'' by [[José Zorrilla y Moral|José Zorrilla]] (1817–1893) are also traditional on this day.

=== Local traditions ===
{{more citations needed|Local traditions section|date=May 2019|talk=|small=}}
The traditions and activities that take place in celebration of the Day of the Dead are not universal, often varying from town to town. For example, in the town of [[Pátzcuaro]] on the [[Lago de Pátzcuaro]] in [[Michoacán]], the tradition is very different if the deceased is a child rather than an adult. On November 1 of the year after a child's death, the [[godparents]] set a table in the parents' home with sweets, fruits, {{lang|es|pan de muerto}}, a cross, a rosary (used to ask the Virgin Mary to pray for them), and candles. This is meant to celebrate the child's life, in respect and appreciation for the parents. There is also dancing with colorful costumes, often with skull-shaped masks and devil masks in the plaza or garden of the town. At midnight on November 2, the people light candles and ride winged boats called {{lang|es|mariposas}} (butterflies) to Janitzio, an island in the middle of the lake where there is a cemetery, to honor and celebrate the lives of the dead there.

In contrast, the town of [[Ocotepec, Cuernavaca, Morelos|Ocotepec]], north of [[Cuernavaca]] in the State of [[Morelos]], opens its doors to visitors in exchange for {{lang|es|veladoras}} (small wax candles) to show respect for the recently deceased. In return the visitors receive [[tamales]] and {{lang|es|atole}}. This is done only by the owners of the house where someone in the household has died in the previous year. Many people of the surrounding areas arrive early to eat for free and enjoy the elaborate altars set up to receive the visitors.

Another peculiar tradition involving children is {{lang|es|La [[Danza de los Viejitos]]}} (the Dance of the Old Men) where boys and young men dressed like grandfathers crouch and jump in an energetic dance.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rove.me/to/mexico/dia-de-los-muertos-or-day-of-the-dead|title=Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead|access-date=August 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829175333/https://rove.me/to/mexico/dia-de-los-muertos-or-day-of-the-dead|archive-date=August 29, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In the 2015 [[James Bond]] film ''[[Spectre (2015 film)|Spectre]]'', the opening sequence features a Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City. At the time, no such parade took place in Mexico City; one year later, due to the interest in the film and the government desire to promote the Mexican culture, the federal and local authorities decided to organize an actual {{lang|es|Día de Muertos}} parade through [[Paseo de la Reforma]] and [[Historic center of Mexico City|Centro Historico]] on October 29, 2016, which was attended by 250,000 people.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37813562|title=Mexico City stages first Day of the Dead parade|date=October 29, 2016|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=November 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030142729/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37813562|archive-date=October 30, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.excelsior.com.mx/comunidad/2016/10/30/1125178#imagen-3|title=Fotogalería: Desfile por Día de Muertos reúne a 250 mil personas|date=October 29, 2016|work=[[Excélsior]]|language=spanish|access-date=November 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031150523/http://www.excelsior.com.mx/comunidad/2016/10/30/1125178%23#imagen-3|archive-date=October 31, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://noticieros.televisa.com/fotos/mexico/2016-10-29/desfile-dia-muertos-cdmx.photo-1/|title=Galerías Archivo|publisher=Televisa News|access-date=November 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161103235844/http://noticieros.televisa.com/fotos/mexico/2016-10-29/desfile-dia-muertos-cdmx.photo-1/|archive-date=November 3, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> This could be seen as an example of the [[pizza effect]]. The idea of a massive celebration was also popularized in the Disney Pixar movie ''[[Coco (2017 film)|Coco]]''.