Day of the Dead: Origins, Traditions, and Its Passage to the United States

The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is a living tradition that honors deceased relatives through altars, offerings, rituals, and public festivities. Although popularly portrayed as ancient and monolithic, the celebration is the result of centuries of cultural adaptation — an enduring syncretism between pre-Hispanic practices and Catholic rites introduced during the colonial period. inah.gob.mx+1

Pre-Hispanic roots and early rituals
Scholars trace elements of the holiday’s symbolic universe to Mesoamerican cultures — especially to Nahua/Aztec practices — where death was integrated into cyclical cosmologies and rituals dedicated to deities associated with the dead (for example, Mictecacihuatl, sometimes called the “Lady of the Dead”). Practices such as offerings, skull imagery, and month-long commemorations of the deceased existed long before the Spanish conquest, though they varied widely by region and community. HISTORY+1

Colonial syncretism: Catholic calendar and adaptation
With the arrival of the Spaniards and Catholic evangelization, indigenous rituals were reframed and often merged with All Saints’ Day (Nov 1) and All Souls’ Day (Nov 2). Over time the indigenous commemorations were shortened and re-dated in many regions, producing the two-day popular form widely recognized today. Rather than erasing indigenous meaning entirely, this fusion produced a resilient cultural practice that incorporates both notions of mourning and joyful remembrance. inah.gob.mx+1

Key elements and their meanings
Common features of contemporary altars (ofrendas) — photographs of the deceased, candles, copal or incense, pan de muerto, salt, water, papel picado, sugar skulls, and cempasúchil (marigold) flowers — function as sensory guides intended to welcome visiting souls and to connect the living with memory and community. Several items (flowers to guide, candles to light the way, food to nourish) have symbolic explanations that mix indigenous cosmovision and later folk interpretations. Smithsonian Magazine+1

Regional variation in Mexico
Día de los Muertos is not uniform across Mexico: in some regions it is an elaborate multi-day set of rituals; in others it remains intimate and family-centered. Oaxacan cemeteries, Michoacán’s island ceremonies, central Mexican barrio altars, and northern variations each show local histories and meanings. The UNESCO designation recognizes this “indigenous festivity dedicated to the dead” as a living, diverse practice. UNESCO ICH+1

The tradition in the United States
Migration and transnational ties have carried Day of the Dead practices into the United States, where Mexican and Indigenous communities — and increasingly multicultural audiences — celebrate through altars, parades, public art, and community events. U.S. expressions often adapt imagery and rhythm to local contexts (public parades, “community altares,” educational events, art installations), while debates about commercialization and cultural appropriation have grown as the celebration becomes more visible in mainstream culture. Institutions such as the Library of Congress and Smithsonian museums document and analyze this cultural transfer. The Library of Congress+1

Contemporary meanings and global visibility
The Day of the Dead’s global resonance — amplified by media, museums, and festivals — highlights both Mexico’s cultural diplomacy and the contestations that arise when sacred family practices become public spectacles. For practitioners, the holiday remains foremost an act of remembrance and continuity across generations; for observers, it can also serve as an entry point to learning about Mexico’s plural past. UNESCO’s listing underscores the festival’s value as intangible cultural heritage, emphasizing local custodianship and the need to respect living practices.