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Ordinary Time
Day of the Dead / Día de Muertos (Mexico)
Also called: Día de los Muertos, Todos Santos, Ofrenda tradition
November 1 (fixed)
Catholic
A Mexican and Central American observance blending Catholic All Saints' and All Souls' commemorations with pre-Columbian Aztec ancestor veneration (particularly the Aztec Feast of the Dead, originally in summer). Families build elaborate altars (ofrendas) decorated with marigold flowers (cempasúchil), photographs of deceased loved ones, food, candles, and the deceased's favorite items.
The belief is that on these nights, the spirits of the dead return to visit the living. It usually falls on or around November 1 (fixed).
It is especially important in Catholic traditions. Browse Christian holidays — browse options on Eden.
At a glance
- Type
- observance
- Date type
- Fixed (same date every year)
- Regions
- Global, North America
- Themes
- Penitence & Fasting, End Times & Hope, Saints & Martyrs
- Liturgical colour
- Multicolor (marigolds, purple, orange)
Common questions
Day of the Dead is observed on November 1 (fixed). Moveable feasts shift each year; fixed feasts stay on the same calendar date.
A Mexican and Central American observance blending Catholic All Saints' and All Souls' commemorations with pre-Columbian Aztec ancestor veneration (particularly the Aztec Feast of the Dead, originally in summer). Families build elaborate altars (ofrendas) decorated with marigold flowers (cempasúchil), photographs of deceased loved ones, food, candles, and the deceased's favorite items. The belief
It is associated with Catholic. It falls in the Ordinary Time season of the liturgical year.