Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Mexico’s most important holiday, is a two-day festival honoring deceased loved ones. It coincides with the Catholic holiday called All Soul’s & All Saint’s Day.  The belief is that the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31st, and the spirits of deceased children reunite with their families for 24 hours. On November 2nd, the spirits of the adults come down to take part in the festivities that are by this time well underway, and just for them.

During the celebration, vibrant altars are set up in the home and adorned with candles, boldly hued flowers (like marigolds and cock’s combs), little folk art skeletons, sugar skulls, and tons of food. Toys and candies are left for the children spirits and shots of mezcal are offered to the adult spirits.

Day of the Dead celebrations include gatherings in cemeteries, block parties, parades, and festivals. In each of these settings participants paint their faces to mimic Mexican sugar skulls. A favorite finishing touch is a Día de los Muertos flower crown proudly worn in their hair. This is typically a simple design of one flower like a large mum or grouping on one side of the head.

Find a celebration from Austin’s growing pool of Día de los Muertos events for grown-ups, kids, or the whole family. Courtesy of TODOAustin.