An illustrated guide to Dia de los Muertos.

Day of the Dead, also known as Dia de los Muertos, is often mistaken for “Mexican Halloween” due to the use of skeletons and the timing of its celebration. Held in late October and with its roots in southern Mexico, this three-day Aztec festival honors departed family members, friends and even pets.

Popular Day of the Dead symbols appear in late October, including colorful paper flowers and face painting. But are you familiar with the different parts of an ofrenda, a traditional altar, or the meaning of sugar skulls on Dia de los Muertos?

Day of the Dead is celebrated primarily in Mexico and Central America, as well as in a few cities in the United States. Read on to learn more about the traditions of this holiday:

Day of the Dead celebrations

Day of the Dead celebrations begin October 31 and ends on November 2. The combination of local death cult and ritual rites with Catholicism brought it from Europe. The custom of inviting departed loved ones home for the day is a way to honor their life and accept what happens after death.

Ofrenda traditions

Food, flowers and altars are necessary components of the celebration. Food items such as sugar skulls, sweet buns and drinks, as well as clay jewelry and sentimental items are placed on ofrendas or home altars to honor the deceased. Either in the cemetery itself or at the table at home, family members think that their loved ones will enjoy the “essence” of the treat offered to them.

What do ofrenda offerings symbolize?

Where did the use of skeletons come from?

Skeletons are the most iconic images of the Day of the Dead. Today, people dress up in ornate costumes with skull faces. The game image of life after death is a skeleton.

One of many famous images of the Day of the Dead. La Calavera Catrinawhich translates as “elegant skull”, first appeared in 1910 as a skeletal figure in elaborate finery. In Mexico, satirical artist Jose Guadalupe Posada was the first to draw her figure. It was intended to serve as a tongue-in-cheek reminder to those seeking social and political prominence that, at their core, all men are just bundles of bones.

Alebridges: Even the dead need a spiritual guide

Pedro Linaresan artist from Mexico City, introduced a celebration of the colorful mythical creatures known as Alebrijes in 1936. With exaggerated bodies with stripes and dots, they are considered creatures from our dreams and the realm of the dead. They are usually made from papier-mâché or wood.

The basic meaning of the Day of the Dead celebration has not changed over thousands of years, despite changing traditions. This holiday serves as an occasion to honor and glorify those who have passed on from this life, and also represents death as an inevitable part of life.

SOURCE DayofheDead.holiday/story, History.comUniversity of New Mexico Britannica.com and USA TODAY research