Preparations for the ‘Day of the Dead’ festival, which is celebrated in memory of deceased relatives and friends, have begun in Mexico. Celebrated every year on November 1 and 2, this festival commemorates the dead and shows respect for them. This tradition of embracing death as a continuation of life, instead of focusing only on the fear of death and grief, occupies a special place in Mexican culture.
In Mexican tradition, the orange 100-petaled flower, or ‘sempasuchil’, is considered as a symbol of guiding the departed soul back to its family. Therefore, during festivals, these flowers are widely used in houses, streets, markets and special altars made in memory. Even during the preparation of this festival, there is a crowd of people taking pictures in the garden covered with 100-petal flowers in Rancho San Juan Diego in the state of Jalisco.
The history of the ‘Day of the Dead’ festival is connected with the ancient tribal civilization of Central America. Civilizations such as the Aztecs, Mayans, Olmecs and Toltecs believed that death is not the end of life, but the continuation of another existence. They developed a tradition of offering food, water and essentials to the dead based on the belief that the relationship between the departed soul and the living family would continue.
After the Spanish colonists arrived in Mexico in the 16th century, Christian festivals and traditions such as All Saints Day and All Souls Day mixed with the local culture. In this way, the current form of ‘Dia de Muertos’ has been developed from the fusion of tribal beliefs and Christian traditions. Recognizing its cultural and spiritual importance, in 2008 UNESCO included this festival in the representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The ‘Day of the Dead’ festival has also been attracting Mexico’s tourism. The statistics of more than 47 million international tourists visiting Mexico in 2025 show the expansion of the tourism sector there. At the end of October and the beginning of November, due to the tourists who come to experience the festival, the traffic increases in various places including the capital.
Pictures – International Media