{"id":16305,"date":"2019-11-01T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-01T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/?p=16305"},"modified":"2025-07-16T09:25:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T08:25:49","slug":"day-of-the-dead-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/","title":{"rendered":"How to celebrate D\u00eda de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In Mexico, death is celebrated. Every year, Mexicans honour the dead with a festival known as Day of the Dead, or D\u00eda de los Muertos. The Day of the Dead celebration is a joyous time to remember and reunite with loved ones, but how did this holiday begin and where can you join the festivities?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-who-celebrates-day-of-the-dead\"><strong>Who celebrates Day of the Dead?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Mexico celebrates Day of the Dead with a two-day holiday between 31 October and 2 November each year. <br><br>You can find similar Day of the Dead festivities throughout Latin America, including Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Belize and Guatemala.<br><br><strong><em>RELATED CONTENT:<\/em><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/seven-colourful-festivals-around-the-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Seven Colourful Festivals Around the World<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2019\/10\/Colorful-Day-Of-The-Dead-Tradition-Make-Up-Mexico-1868836-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"girl with painted skull face day of the dead tradition\" class=\"wp-image-16345\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Colorful-Day-Of-The-Dead-Tradition-Make-Up-Mexico-1868836-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Colorful-Day-Of-The-Dead-Tradition-Make-Up-Mexico-1868836-330x220.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Colorful-Day-Of-The-Dead-Tradition-Make-Up-Mexico-1868836-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Colorful-Day-Of-The-Dead-Tradition-Make-Up-Mexico-1868836-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Colorful-Day-Of-The-Dead-Tradition-Make-Up-Mexico-1868836.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-happens-on-the-day-of-the-dead\">What happens on the Day of the Dead?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Mexicans believe that spirits return to the world of the living for one day of the year to be with families. It&#8217;s a merry celebration and shows love and respect for those who have passed on. <br><br>Revellers wear special makeup and costumes and sing and dance at parades. They cook festive foods and create decorated altars (<em>ofrendas<\/em>) in their homes to welcome the spirits. They also visit cemeteries to decorate the graves and spend time in the presence of their deceased loved ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-dead-568012_960_720.jpg\" alt=\"day of the dead parade with traditional makeup and costumes\" class=\"wp-image-16347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-dead-568012_960_720.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-dead-568012_960_720-330x219.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-dead-568012_960_720-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-dead-568012_960_720-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-day-of-the-dead-traditions\">Day of the Dead traditions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Mexicans celebrate Day of the Dead with different traditions throughout the country. You&#8217;ll find more colourful festivities in the southern regions like Oaxaca. Some of the most common D\u00eda de los Muertos traditions include sugar skulls and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/travel\/destinations\/north-america\/mexico\/top-ten-day-of-dead-mexico\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"decorated altars (opens in a new tab)\">decorated altars<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-are-skulls-used-in-day-of-the-dead\">Why are skulls used in Day of the Dead?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The D\u00eda de los Muertos skull is one of the most significant symbols of the festival. You&#8217;ll see it in Day of the Dead art including make-up, masks and sugar skulls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The human skull was an important symbol of life and death for the Aztecs and the Maya and they often depicted skulls and skeletons in paintings and pottery. <br><br>Today, it&#8217;s a playful symbol for life after death and shows that death is a natural part of life. It lessens the fear of death, as it shows the deceased going about their lives as normal in the afterlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-dead-skulls-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"day of the dead colourful skulls\" class=\"wp-image-16348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-dead-skulls.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-dead-skulls-330x220.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-dead-skulls-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-dead-skulls-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-food-do-you-eat-on-day-of-the-dead\">What food do you eat on Day of the Dead?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Food is an important part of Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. Families place traditional foods on their altars as offerings for the spirits, and they believe that the spirits consume the essence of the food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-calaveras-de-azucar-sugar-skulls\">Calaveras de Azucar &#8211; Sugar skulls<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sugar skulls represent the deceased and families bake sugar skulls with colourful icing, happy smiles, and sparkling ornaments. They write the name of their deceased loved one on the forehead of the sugar skull to honour the return of their spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-pan-de-muertos-day-of-the-dead-bread\">Pan de Muertos &#8211; Day of the Dead Bread<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Pan de muerto is a special bread made for the Day of the Dead festival. It is slightly sweet and made with anise or citrus. The bread represents the departed souls and is an essential item on the altar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-who-started-day-of-the-dead\">Who started Day of the Dead?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ancient pre-Hispanic civilisations have been celebrating death and the afterlife for at least 3,000 years. The Aztec civilisation began the festival that has since developed into the modern Day of the Dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Spaniards tried to end the festival when they arrived in Mexico in the 16th century, however it continued to thrive. Today, the Day of the Dead combines the ancient pre-Hispanic traditions with elements of Catholicism and coincides with All Souls&#8217; and All Saints&#8217; Day. <br><br><a href=\"https:\/\/ich.unesco.org\/en\/RL\/indigenous-festivity-dedicated-to-the-dead-00054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"UNESCO recognised the festival (opens in a new tab)\">UNESCO recognised the festival<\/a> as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2008.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-deaD-PURPLE-WIG.jpg\" alt=\"lady at day of the dead celebration in mexico\" class=\"wp-image-16349\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-deaD-PURPLE-WIG.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-deaD-PURPLE-WIG-330x220.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-deaD-PURPLE-WIG-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-deaD-PURPLE-WIG-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-where-to-travel-for-the-best-day-of-the-dead-celebrations\">Where to travel for the best Day of the Dead celebrations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-oaxaca\">Oaxaca<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Oaxaca is an incredible place to visit year-round but their Day of the Dead celebration is an unforgettable experience. You can explore vibrant marketplaces, observe vigils in cemeteries, see Day of the Dead altars, and take part in nightly carnival processions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-mexico-city\">Mexico City<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the capital of Mexico, you can watch a massive Day of the Dead parade filled with painted Catrinas and bright <em>alebrijes<\/em> (mythical creatures). They dance and sing for nearly five kilometres down the grand Paseo de la Reforma. The parade famously inspired the opening scenes of 007: Spectre, the 2015 James Bond film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-merida\">Merida<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Merida is a city in Yucatan, where families gather to cook a special Day of the Dead feast. They prepare a seasoned chicken tamale wrapped in banana leaves (<em>pibipollo<\/em>) and cook it in an underground pit. You can sample this delicious dish and take part in festivities in the streets and cemeteries.<br><br><strong><em>RELATED:<\/em><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/tours\/t\/treasures-of-the-yucatan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Treasures of the Yucatan  (opens in a new tab)\"><em>Treasures of the Yucatan <\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Have you travelled to Mexico for Day of the Dead celebrations? Share your experience or any essential tips in the comments below.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Mexico, death is celebrated. Every year, Mexicans honour the dead with a festival known as Day of the Dead, or D\u00eda de los Muertos. The Day of the Dead celebration is a joyous time to remember and reunite with loved ones, but how did this holiday begin and where can you join the festivities? [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":16349,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4908],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to celebrate D\u00eda de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Day of the Dead is one of the world&#039;s top festivals. We&#039;ve put together a guide to the Day of the Dead celebration, including the best places to visit.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"D\u00eda de los Muertos - What is Day of the Dead and how is it celebrated?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Read our guide to the Day of the Dead (D\u00eda de los Muertos) celebrations in Mexico to discover the history, traditions and top places to celebrate the festival.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Real Word\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-11-01T06:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-16T08:25:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-deaD-PURPLE-WIG.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Katie Birtles\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"D\u00eda de los Muertos - What is Day of the Dead and how is it celebrated?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Read our guide to the Day of the Dead (D\u00eda de los Muertos) celebrations in Mexico to discover the history, traditions and top places to celebrate the festival.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Katie Birtles\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Katie Birtles\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/53344b78a99d6c1174b3caad62ea65fe\"},\"headline\":\"How to celebrate D\u00eda de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-11-01T06:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-16T08:25:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":791,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/day-of-the-deaD-PURPLE-WIG.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Travel Tips &amp; News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\\\/\",\"name\":\"How to celebrate D\u00eda de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/day-of-the-deaD-PURPLE-WIG.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-11-01T06:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-16T08:25:49+00:00\",\"description\":\"The Day of the Dead is one of the world's top festivals. We've put together a guide to the Day of the Dead celebration, including the best places to visit.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/day-of-the-deaD-PURPLE-WIG.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/day-of-the-deaD-PURPLE-WIG.jpg\",\"width\":960,\"height\":640,\"caption\":\"girl at day of the dead celebration\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to celebrate D\u00eda de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/\",\"name\":\"Real Word\",\"description\":\"Travel articles, insights and stories from Trafalgar\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Real Word\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/TT_RealWorld_Opt01-horizontal-Black.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/TT_RealWorld_Opt01-horizontal-Black.svg\",\"width\":643,\"height\":83,\"caption\":\"Real Word\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/53344b78a99d6c1174b3caad62ea65fe\",\"name\":\"Katie Birtles\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96\",\"caption\":\"Katie Birtles\"},\"description\":\"Katie is an experienced traveler and content writer with a focus on food &amp; drink, cultural traditions and travel tips and tricks\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.trafalgar.com\\\/real-word\\\/author\\\/katiebirtles\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to celebrate D\u00eda de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)","description":"The Day of the Dead is one of the world's top festivals. We've put together a guide to the Day of the Dead celebration, including the best places to visit.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"D\u00eda de los Muertos - What is Day of the Dead and how is it celebrated?","og_description":"Read our guide to the Day of the Dead (D\u00eda de los Muertos) celebrations in Mexico to discover the history, traditions and top places to celebrate the festival.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/","og_site_name":"Real Word","article_published_time":"2019-11-01T06:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-16T08:25:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":960,"height":640,"url":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-deaD-PURPLE-WIG.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Katie Birtles","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"D\u00eda de los Muertos - What is Day of the Dead and how is it celebrated?","twitter_description":"Read our guide to the Day of the Dead (D\u00eda de los Muertos) celebrations in Mexico to discover the history, traditions and top places to celebrate the festival.","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Katie Birtles","Estimated reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/"},"author":{"name":"Katie Birtles","@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/#\/schema\/person\/53344b78a99d6c1174b3caad62ea65fe"},"headline":"How to celebrate D\u00eda de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)","datePublished":"2019-11-01T06:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-16T08:25:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/"},"wordCount":791,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-deaD-PURPLE-WIG.jpg","articleSection":["Travel Tips &amp; News"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/","url":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/","name":"How to celebrate D\u00eda de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-deaD-PURPLE-WIG.jpg","datePublished":"2019-11-01T06:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-16T08:25:49+00:00","description":"The Day of the Dead is one of the world's top festivals. We've put together a guide to the Day of the Dead celebration, including the best places to visit.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-deaD-PURPLE-WIG.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-of-the-deaD-PURPLE-WIG.jpg","width":960,"height":640,"caption":"girl at day of the dead celebration"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/day-of-the-dead-celebration\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to celebrate D\u00eda de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/","name":"Real Word","description":"Travel articles, insights and stories from Trafalgar","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/#organization","name":"Real Word","url":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/TT_RealWorld_Opt01-horizontal-Black.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/TT_RealWorld_Opt01-horizontal-Black.svg","width":643,"height":83,"caption":"Real Word"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/#\/schema\/person\/53344b78a99d6c1174b3caad62ea65fe","name":"Katie Birtles","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96","caption":"Katie Birtles"},"description":"Katie is an experienced traveler and content writer with a focus on food &amp; drink, cultural traditions and travel tips and tricks","url":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/author\/katiebirtles\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16305"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16305\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}