Day of the Dead Celebrations Commence Across Mexico, Californians Join in Honoring Deceased Loved Ones

Families in Mexico and California light candles, decorate graves, and create homemade altars as a part of the tradition coinciding with All Saints Day and All Souls Day.

Ana Martínez and others in Oaxaca, Mexico eagerly anticipate the Day of the Dead celebrations, building homemade altars and lighting candles in the cemetery as part of the tradition.
The Day of the Dead festivities involve families gathering at cemeteries to decorate the graves of their loved ones with flowers and candles, and spending the night at the cemetery, eating, drinking and keeping company with their dearly departed.
As part of the tradition, celebrators build three-level altars with flowers such as the cempasúchil, followed by the lighting of copal incense and offerings of food, symbolic to guide the souls of the departed.
In southern California, the tradition of the Day of the Dead has been celebrated with various events, including the building of altars adorned with photos, candles, and food to commemorate lost loved ones.
The Day of the Dead celebrations received increased mainstream attention with its depiction in recent films like 2015's 'Spectre' and 2017's 'Coco', sparking more interest in the tradition beyond the Latino communities.