Day of the Dead celebrations around the world

8 hours ago 7

El Dia de los Muertos is especially popular in Mexico but is also observed in other countries.

People with skull make-up march during a parade.

People march during the Paseo de las Animas parade as part of the Day of the Dead celebrations in Merida, Mexico [Martin Zetina/AP Photo]

Published On 3 Nov 2025

People around the world have been celebrating the Day of the Dead, bringing light and colour to streets and cemeteries.

The holiday blends pre-Colombian rituals with the Roman Catholic observance of All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2.

The Day of the Dead, or El Dia de los Muertos, is not for mourning or grieving, but for celebrating the lives of those who have passed.

It is believed to be a time when the living and the dead can connect.

Traditional practices are performed, such as placing marigold flowers on altars and offering certain food items, the aroma and colour of which are thought to help spirits return to visit the living.

To commemorate the dead, people also dress up in colourful skeleton costumes.

The holiday is especially popular in Mexico, but is also observed in other countries, including the United States and Germany.

Day of the Dead

A man places flowers on a grave on All Saints' Day, a Catholic holiday to honour saints and remember deceased relatives, at a municipal cemetery in Barcelona, Spain. [Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo]

Day of the Dead

A man climbs apartment-type tombs at the hillside Barangka public cemetery in Marikina city, Philippines as people visit their loved ones during All Saints Day. [Aaron Favila/AP Photo]

Day of the Dead

A member of Teatro del Pueblo, dressed as La Catrina, performs "La Danza de la Muerte" play, part of the Day of the Dead celebrations at Olvera Street in Los Angeles, US. [Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo]

Day of the Dead

A member of an Aztec dance group holds incense during a commemoration of the Day of the Dead at El Colegio High School in Minneapolis, US. [Giovanna Dell'Orto/AP Photo]

Day of the Dead

A woman attends the traditional Catrina parade marking the Day of the Dead in Frankfurt, Germany. [Michael Probst/AP Photo]

Day of the Dead

A women observes All Saints' Day in Kroczewo, Poland. [Czarek Sokolowski/AP Photo]

Day of the Dead

Nina Valentina Nieva helps her uncle Lorena Plaza light a candle in memory of her mother, Lorena Luca, inside a chapel at the cemetery during Day of the Dead celebrations in Susques, Jujuy province, Argentina. [Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo]

Day of the Dead

A devotee takes part in a Voodoo ritual during the annual Fete Gede festival that celebrates the Day of the Dead, honoring the Haitian spirits Baron Samedi and Gede, in the Delmas neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. [Odelyn Joseph/AP Photo]

Day of the Dead

A nun of the Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Saint Teresa, walks by the graves of their loved ones on All Souls' Day, in Kolkata, India. [Bikas Das/AP Photo]

Day of the Dead

A woman sits by the grave of a relative during Day of the Dead festivities at the Tarapaca cemetery in El Alto, Bolivia. [Juan Karita/AP Photo]

Read Entire Article
International | | | |