A guide for visitors
The Day of the Dead, explained
Día de Muertos is when the living and the dead share a table again. Here's what's on the altar and why, who arrives on which night, where the souls travel from, and how different regions of Mexico celebrate. Then test yourself.
Anatomy of an ofrenda
Tap an element to learn what it means.
El altar
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Every object on an ofrenda has a purpose: to guide, feed, purify or welcome the visiting souls. Together they bring the four elements to the table: earth, water, fire and wind.
Who arrives when
The days of the dead are more than one night. This is one calendar widely shared in Mexico, though customs vary from town to town.
The road to Mictlán
In Mexica belief, the souls of people who died ordinary deaths travelled for four years through nine dangerous levels to reach Mictlán, the place of the dead. That's why they arrive at the ofrenda so thirsty.
Around Mexico
Myth or fact?
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The Día de Muertos Quiz
Twelve random questions from a pool of thirty. Every round is different.
Your result
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