Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday with Indigenous origins that celebrates and remembers loved ones who have died. 🌼

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Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday with Indigenous origins that celebrates and remembers loved ones who have died. 🌼

The Mexica held festivals honoring the dead, linked to Mictecacíhuatl, during what is now roughly August. But many other Indigenous peoples of Mexico, including the Maya, Purépecha, Zapotec, and Nahua communities, had their own ways of honoring ancestors, and many of those practices continue today. After colonization, these traditions merged with the Catholic All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, which is why it's now celebrated November 1 and 2.

Did you know Día de los Muertos also connects to psychology and mental health? 🧠

Grief researchers describe something called continuing bonds, the idea that staying connected to loved ones after they die can be a healthy part of grieving rather than a sign of “not moving on.” ❤️‍🩹 Research also suggests that meaningful acts of remembrance, like setting up an ofrenda or cooking a loved one’s favorite meal, can help people regain a sense of control and ease the pain of loss.

For generations, Día de los Muertos has given Mexican and Mexican American communities a way to express emotions, share memories, and grieve together. It reminds us that grief and joy can coexist, and that remembering someone we’ve lost doesn’t stop us from celebrating the life they lived. 🌼

How does your family or community honor the memory of loved ones who have passed on? We’d love to hear about your traditions 👇🏽! 💓

Big shoutout to our stellar undergraduate research assistant @catalina_rosas_ for her incredible work 🤩👏🏽!

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