Common symbols include calaveras (sugar skulls) and calacas (skeletons), which are often depicted enjoying life, such as wearing fancy clothes or playing music.
Families often spend the night in cemeteries, cleaning, decorating graves with flowers, and sharing stories, music, and food with the departed. Key Dates: Day of the Dead
Families build private altars in their homes, decorated with marigold flowers ( cempasúchil ), candles, papel picado (cut paper), photos of the departed, and their favorite food and drinks. Common symbols include calaveras (sugar skulls) and calacas
It is not a somber occasion, but rather a festive, joyous event where families welcome back the spirits of their ancestors for a brief reunion. which are often depicted enjoying life