Overview
- The observance runs Nov. 1–2, with preparations and vigils beginning Oct. 31 in many communities.
- Celebrants believe the barrier between the living and the dead briefly opens, allowing loved ones’ spirits to visit.
- Families build ofrendas with photos, favorite foods and drinks, candles and bright marigolds, often alongside sugar skulls, pan de muerto and papel picado.
- Though often linked publicly with Halloween, the tradition is distinct and in many places includes cemetery visits and Masses.
- Public celebrations feature face painting and parades, with U.S. events in cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Antonio and Fort Lauderdale, and iconic imagery like La Calavera Catrina by José Guadalupe Posada.