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Families start cleaning and decorating graves
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Leave food for the Souls
Food placed on the altar consists of the loved ones favorite dishes and treats. Drinks should be placed in the altar to quench the thirst of the dead after their long journey back home. In many villages it is customary to offer alcoholic beverages. Salt is considered the spice of life and is one the staples that are often left at the altar. -
Set up Alters
Set up altars in their homes and often communities host a variety of events. Altars are usually decorated with flowers, candles, pan de muerto, ceramic skulls, and most importantly pictures of loved ones. -
Decorate Graves
Candles, flowers and the favorite foods of the deceased are placed on the grave and the family visits, eats, sings and tells favorite stories about those who have passed -
Buy Sugar Skulls
Sugar skulls are either bought or made by families to add to their altar, and the name of the deceased is often written in icing on the forehead. In addition to the traditional sugar versions, you can also get chocolate and biscuit ‘sugar skulls’ during this period. -
Souls of children return
They follow the path of Marigolds home, where their families have alters with pan de muertos, sweet tamales and sugary calaveras -
Burning Scents
The scents of marigolds as well as burning copal (a resin of the copal tree) are thought to be most beloved by the spirits of the dead and invite them back home. -
Childrens Spirits leave/ Adult Spirits Come
The offerings at the alters are changed to be for the adult spirits such as pan de muertos, tomales, mole, cigarettes, tequila -
Mummers Run on the Streets
Wearing masks and big costumes to chase stubborn souls back to the land of the dead -
Eating Pan de Muertos
Lightly orange-flavored sweet bread, which has ‘bonelike’ decorations atop it and a healthy coating of sugar. -
Displays of Calacas
Calacas are clothed, decorated and colorful skeleton figurines. Dressed in long, sometimes regal and traditional Mexican dresses and styles -
Catrina parade
Attendees paint their faces in the typical style of the Catrina skull, complete with colorful accents around the eyes and cheeks, and dress in outfits appropriate for the occasion
