Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is a three-day festival famous for its colourful parades, sugar skulls and graveyard vigils.
Taking place from October 31 to November 2, the event is a celebration and remembrance of friends and family who have died and embarked on their spiritual journey through the afterlife.
The colourful festivities, which are a continuation of ancient Aztec rituals, include homemade altars, lively markets, carnival-like processions, elaborate costumes, and pan de puerto (Day of the Dead bread). The holiday concludes with a family visit to the cemetery.
It’s a hauntingly beautiful spectacle traditionally celebrated in Mexico, as well as throughout Central and South America. Yet you’ll also find other nations around the world, especially those with large Latino communities, throwing parties to mark the occasion. Here are some of the best Day of the Dead celebrations from around the world:
Oaxaca, Mexico
Often considered the culinary and cultural centre of Mexico, Oaxaca City is one of the best places in the world to experience Dia de Muertos. Nearly every street will be hosting face painting, parties and parades, but it’s also worth heading to a cemetery or two. It’s here you’ll find hordes of crowds admiring candlelit grave sites, and families remembering loved ones with food and drink.
Los Angeles, USA
You’ll find a traditional celebration on vibrant Olvera Street, home to one of the city’s largest Mexican marketplaces. There is face painting, theatrical performances, altar displays, nightly candlelit processions and more.
Santiago Sacatepequez, Guatemala
The Day of the Dead is a religious holiday in many countries with a Catholic majority. Guatemala emulates Mexico’s colourful decorations and in Sacatepéquez, one of the popular traditions is El Festival de Barriletes Gigantes (the giant kite festival). Huge, hand-painted kites are flown over cemeteries as a symbol of connection between the living and the dead.
San Antonio, USA
San Antonio’s La Villita Historic Arts Village hosts a free, two-day Día de los Muertos festival near the River Walk amphitheater. These Day of the Dead celebrations include an altar contest, cultural workshops, vibrant processions, live poetry and music, plus plenty of yummy street food.
Quito, Ecuador
The Day of the Dead is a public holiday known as the Day of the Ancestors in Ecuador. One of Quito’s oldest graveyards, the Sand Diego Cemetery, provides an atmospheric setting to watch festivities unfold, as hundreds of local families sing, dance, and eat around the graves of their loved ones.
Island of Janitzio, Mexico
In the lake of Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, is a small island where the idea that the spirit of the dead returns to the earth is believed to have originated. Thousands of people, locals and foreigners alike, attend the annual celebration.